History of Today in India – 31 March

Explore the history of today 31 March in India, including important events, famous personalities, and milestones for UPSC SSC,Banking & PSC exams.

Last updated on 31 March 2026, 04:24 AM

📜 Important Events on 31 March in World History

31 Mar 2023: A historic tornado outbreak occurs in the American Midwest and South. Read more
31 Mar 2018: Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution. Read more
31 Mar 2016: NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth after a yearlong mission at the International Space Station. Read more
31 Mar 2005: The dwarf planet Makemake is discovered by a team led by astronomer Michael E. Brown at the Palomar Observatory. Read more
31 Mar 2004: Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed. Read more
31 Mar 1998: Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license. Read more
31 Mar 1995: Selena is murdered by her fan club president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. Read more
31 Mar 1995: TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board. Read more
31 Mar 1993: The Macao Basic Law is adopted by the Eighth National People's Congress of China to take effect December 20, 1999. Resumption by China of the Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao Read more
31 Mar 1992: The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California. Read more
31 Mar 1992: The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow. Read more
31 Mar 1991: Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country's independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
31 Mar 1991: The Warsaw Pact formally disbands. Read more
31 Mar 1990: Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax. Read more
31 Mar 1986: Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940 crashes into the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range near the Mexican town of Maravatío, killing 167. Read more
31 Mar 1980: The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors. Read more
31 Mar 1970: Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit. Read more
31 Mar 1968: American President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to the nation of "Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam" in a television address. At the conclusion of his speech, he announces: "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President." Read more
31 Mar 1966: The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon. Read more
31 Mar 1966: The Labour Party under Harold Wilson wins the 1966 United Kingdom general election. Read more
31 Mar 1964: Brazilian General Olímpio Mourão Filho orders his troops to move towards Rio de Janeiro, beginning the coup d'état and 21 years of military dictatorship. Read more
31 Mar 1959: The 14th Dalai Lama crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum. Read more
31 Mar 1958: In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265. Read more
31 Mar 1957: Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held. After the elections PDU and MDV form a government. Read more
31 Mar 1951: Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau. Read more
31 Mar 1949: The Dominion of Newfoundland joins the Canadian Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada. Read more
31 Mar 1945: World War II: A defecting German pilot delivers a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1, the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, to the Americans, the first to fall into Allied hands. Read more
31 Mar 1942: World War II: Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Events preceding World War II in Europe: Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain pledges British military support to the Second Polish Republic in the event of an invasion by Nazi Germany. Read more
31 Mar 1933: The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States. Read more
31 Mar 1931: An earthquake in Nicaragua destroys Managua; killing 2,000. Read more
31 Mar 1931: A Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne. Read more
31 Mar 1930: The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years. Read more
31 Mar 1921: The Royal Australian Air Force is formed. Read more
31 Mar 1918: Massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed. Read more
31 Mar 1918: Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time. Read more
31 Mar 1917: According to the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the islands become American possessions. Read more
31 Mar 1913: The Vienna Concert Society rioted during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence; this concert became known as the Skandalkonzert. Read more
31 Mar 1909: Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis. Read more
31 Mar 1906: The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for college sports in the United States. Read more
31 Mar 1905: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany declares his support for Moroccan independence in Tangier, beginning the First Moroccan Crisis. Read more
31 Mar 1901: Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák premieres at the National Opera House in Prague. Read more
31 Mar 1899: Philippine–American War: Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces. Read more
31 Mar 1889: The Eiffel Tower is officially opened. Read more
31 Mar 1885: The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Read more
31 Mar 1854: Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade. Read more
31 Mar 1814: The Sixth Coalition occupies Paris after Napoleon's Grande Armée capitulates. Read more

🎂 Important Births on 31 March in World History

31 Mar 2005: Reed Baker-Whiting, American professional footballer Reed Baker-Whiting is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back, left-back, or midfielder for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. Read more
31 Mar 2004: Samson Baidoo, Austrian professional footballer Samson Baidoo is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ligue 1 club Lens and the Austria national team. Read more
31 Mar 2004: Mateo Sanabria, Argentine professional footballer Mateo Sanabria is an Argentine footballer currently playing as a winger for Esporte Clube Bahia. Read more
31 Mar 2004: Alex Luna, Argentine professional footballer Alex Nahuel Luna is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Instituto, on loan from Atlético de Rafaela. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Japhet Tanganga, English footballer Japhet Manzambi Tanganga is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains EFL Championship club Sheffield United. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Brooke Scullion, Irish Singer Brooke Scullion, known professionally as Brooke, is a singer from Northern Ireland. She was a contestant on series 9 of The Voice UK, finishing in third place. She represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song "That's Rich". Read more
31 Mar 1999: Jens Odgaard, Danish professional footballer Jens Odgaard is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Bologna. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Denys Strekalin, Ukrainian-born pair skater Denys Strekalin is a Ukrainian-born pair skater who competes for France with Megan Wessenberg. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Adam Chrzanowski, Polish professional footballer Adam Chrzanowski is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a defender for I liga club Odra Opole. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Santiago Chocobares, Argentine rugby union player Santiago Chocobares is an Argentine professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Top 14 club Toulouse and the Argentina national team. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Ballou Tabla, Canadian professional soccer player Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa. Born in Ivory Coast, he plays for the Canada national team. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Elžbieta Kropa, Lithuanian figure skater Elžbieta Kropa is a Lithuanian figure skater. She is the 2017 Kaunas Ice Autumn Cup champion and a two-time Lithuanian national champion. She qualified for the final segment at the 2018 European Championships in Moscow, Russia, and finished 22nd overall. She also represented Lithuania at three World Championships. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Edon Zhegrova, professional footballer Edon Lulzim Zhegrova is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or right midfielder for Serie A club Juventus. Born in Germany, he plays for the Kosovo national team. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Shiann Salmon, Jamaican track and field athlete Shiann Salmon is a Jamaican track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles and 400 metres. She represented Jamaica at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, competing in women's 400 metres hurdles. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Ben Williams, Welsh professional footballer Benjamin Joseph Williams is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Morecambe. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Luca Pizzul, Italian professional footballer Luca Pizzul is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left back for Serie D club Mestre. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Sander Raieste, Estonian professional basketball player Sander Raieste is an Estonian professional basketball player for the UCAM Murcia of the Liga ACB. Standing at 2.04 m, he plays at the small forward position. He also represents the Estonian national basketball team internationally. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Jonas Røndbjerg, Danish ice hockey player Jonas Røndbjerg is a Danish professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). At the 2017 NHL entry draft, Røndbjerg was selected 65th overall by the Golden Knights. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Adele Tan, Singaporean sports shooter Adele Tan Qian Xiu OLY is a Singaporean Olympic shooter. She competed in the women's 10 metre air rifle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Nuno Pina, Portuguese football player Nuno Henrique Pina Nunes is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Andorran Primera Divisió club Ordino. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Tereza Jančová, Slovak skier Tereza Jančová is a Slovak former alpine skier. She competed for Slovakia at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2017, winning silver in the team event. Jančová was named 'most successful athlete in Zvolen' in 2017, and was also named as the winner in the junior category in 2019. She announced her retirement in March 2019, after having won the Slovak championship slalom event the same month. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Maren Lutz, German female canoeist Maren Lutz is a German female canoeist who won five medals at senior level at the Wildwater Canoeing World Championships. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Shehana Vithana, Sri Lankan-Australian professional squash player Shehana Vithana is a Sri Lankan born Australian professional squash player .She achieved her highest career PSA singles ranking of 119 in October 2018 as a part of the 2018-19 PSA World Tour. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Providence Cowdrill, English cricketer Providence Ann Courtenay Cowdrill is an English cricketer who plays as a right-arm leg break bowler. She has played for Hampshire and Southern Vipers. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Ricardo Felipe, Brazilian footballer Ricardo Felipe da Silva is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Decisão. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Dimitris Dalakouras, Greek professional footballer Dimitrios Dalakouras is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Panionios. Read more
31 Mar 1998: Jakob Chychrun, American-born Canadian ice hockey player Jakob Chychrun is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey player who is a defenseman for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 16th overall by the Arizona Coyotes at the 2016 NHL entry draft. He has also played for the Ottawa Senators. Read more
31 Mar 1996: Liza Koshy, American actress, comedian, and television host Elizabeth Shaila Koshy is an American YouTuber and actress. She has received four Streamy Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and a Kids' Choice Award. Read more
31 Mar 1995: Fiona Brown, footballer Fiona Alison Brown is a Scottish former footballer who played as a forward. Read more
31 Mar 1994: Samira Asghari, Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee Samira Asghari is a member of the International Olympic Committee for Afghanistan since 2018. Upon her election at the age of 24, Asghari became the first representative from Afghanistan and one of the youngest ever members to join the IOC. Before being selected for the IOC, Asghari played for the Afghanistan women's national basketball team and worked for the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee during the 2010s. With the ANOC, Asghari briefly held the finance director and Deputy Secretary General positions in the early to mid 2010s. Read more
31 Mar 1994: Tyler Wright, Australian surfer Tyler Wright is an Australian professional surfer on the WSL World Tour. She is a consecutive WSL Women's World Champion. She qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games. Read more
31 Mar 1994: Mads Würtz Schmidt, Danish road cyclist Mads Würtz Schmidt is a Danish racing cyclist, who rides for gravel team PAS Racing. He rode at the 2013 UCI Road World Championships. In May 2018, he was named in the startlist for the 2018 Giro d'Italia. In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France. In June 2021, he won the Danish National Road Race Championships. Read more
31 Mar 1993: Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer Mikael Ishak is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains Ekstraklasa club Lech Poznań. Read more
31 Mar 1992: Stijn de Looijer, Dutch footballer Stijn de Looijer is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He formerly played for FC Den Bosch and NEC. Read more
31 Mar 1992: Adam Zampa, Australian cricketer Adam Zampa is an Australian cricketer who plays for the Australia national cricket team in both One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. He also plays for New South Wales in domestic cricket and the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. A right-arm leg-break bowler, he is the highest wicket-taker for Australia in T20I. Read more
31 Mar 1991: Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer Milan Milanović is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Bosnian Premier League club Sloga Meridian. Read more
31 Mar 1991: Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer Rodney Sneijder is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for OSM '75 Maarssen. He is the brother of Wesley Sneijder and Jeffrey Sneijder. Read more
31 Mar 1990: George Iloka, American football player George Arinze Iloka is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. Read more
31 Mar 1990: Lyra McKee, Irish journalist (died 2019) Lyra Catherine McKee was a journalist from Northern Ireland who wrote for several publications about the consequences of the Troubles. She also served as an editor for Mediagazer, a news aggregator website. On 18 April 2019, McKee was fatally shot while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry. Read more
31 Mar 1990: Sandra Roma, Swedish tennis player Sandra Roma is a former tennis player from Sweden. Read more
31 Mar 1989: Alberto Martín Romo García Adámez, Spanish footballer Alberto Martín-Romo García-Adámez, known simply as Alberto Martín, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Linense as a midfielder. Read more
31 Mar 1989: Nejc Vidmar, Slovenian footballer Nejc Vidmar is a Slovenian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
31 Mar 1989: Liu Zige, Chinese swimmer Liu Zige is a Chinese competitive swimmer. She won gold medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 2008 Olympics, and is the current world record holder in the event. Read more
31 Mar 1988: Thomas De Corte, Belgian footballer Thomas De Corte is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a right back. He formerly played for Lierse and AGOVV. Read more
31 Mar 1988: Conrad Sewell, Australian singer and songwriter Conrad Ignatius Mario Maximilian Sewell is an Australian singer and songwriter. He is best known for his vocals on Kygo's single "Firestone" and his number-one single "Start Again". Read more
31 Mar 1988: Dorin Dickerson, American football player Dorin R. Dickerson is an American former professional football player who was a tight end and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans. Read more
31 Mar 1988: DeAndre Liggins, American basketball player DeAndre Desmond Liggins is an American professional basketball player for Dijlah Al-Jamiea of the Iraqi Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for Kentucky. Read more
31 Mar 1988: Louis van der Westhuizen, Namibian cricketer Louis van der Westhuizen is a Namibian cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler. He has played first-class cricket for the senior Namibian cricket team since 2006, having previously lined up for the Under-19s. He made his first-class cricket debut on 11 May 2006, for Namibia against Scotland in the 2006–07 ICC Intercontinental Cup. Read more
31 Mar 1987: Nordin Amrabat, Dutch footballer Noureddine "Nordin" Amrabat is a professional footballer who plays as a winger and captains Moroccan Botola Pro club Wydad AC. Amrabat played for Morocco, which he represented at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, 2012 Olympics, and 2018 FIFA World Cup. Read more
31 Mar 1987: Hugo Ayala, Mexican footballer Hugo Ayala Castro is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Read more
31 Mar 1987: Amaury Bischoff, Portuguese footballer Amaury Armindo Bischoff is a former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. Read more
31 Mar 1987: Humpy Koneru, Indian chess player Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess grandmaster. Koneru is a runner-up of the Women's World Chess Championship and the reigning two-time Women's World Rapid Chess Champion. In 2002, she became the youngest female player—and the first Indian female player—to achieve the title of Grandmaster, aged 15 years, 1 month, 27 days, a record only since surpassed by Hou Yifan. Koneru is a gold medallist at the Olympiad, Asian Games, and Asian Championship. Read more
31 Mar 1987: Kirill Starkov, Danish ice hockey player Kirill Olegovich Starkov is a Russian-born Danish professional ice hockey forward who is currently coaching Dudingen Bulls in the Swiss MyHL league, the third tier of the Swiss hockey system. Starkov is also the Integrity Ambassador at IIHF Read more
31 Mar 1987: Nelli Zhiganshina, Russian figure skater Nelli Nailevna Zhiganshina is a Russian-born German ice dancer. With Alexander Gazsi, she is a six-time German national champion and has won twelve international medals. They have placed as high as 6th at the European Championships and 10th at the World Championships. Read more
31 Mar 1986: Andreas Dober, Austrian footballer Andreas Dober is an Austrian footballer who plays for Rapid Wien II as a defender. Read more
31 Mar 1986: James King, Scottish rugby player James King was a Scottish rugby union player who played for Edinburgh Rugby in the Pro14. Read more
31 Mar 1986: Paulo Machado, Portuguese footballer Paulo Ricardo Ribeiro de Jesus Machado is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Steve Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player Steve Bernier is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Selected in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2003 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks, Bernier would play for the Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders during his time in the NHL. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Jo-Lonn Dunbar, American football player Jo-Lonn D. Dunbar is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Boston College. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Jesper Hansen, Danish footballer Jesper Hansen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for AGF. He accumulated 18 youth caps for Denmark at six different age groups. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Ivan Mishyn, Ukrainian race car driver Ivan Mishyn is a Ukrainian rally codriver, Ukrainian rally vice-champion, European rally champion in ERC Production Cup category, and The Boar ProRacing team codriver. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Kory Sheets, American football player Kory Gerren Sheets is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Sheets was also a member of the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders of the NFL and the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. Read more
31 Mar 1985: Jalmar Sjöberg, Swedish wrestler Jalmar Leonard Sjöberg is an amateur Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler. He won a silver medal for the super heavyweight division at the 2009 European Wrestling Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania, and two bronze medals at the 2007 European Wrestling Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, and at the 2009 FILA World Championships in Herning, Denmark. Read more
31 Mar 1984: David Clarkson, Canadian ice hockey player David Clarkson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He is currently part owner and director of player development for the Colorado Grit in the NAHL south division. Clarkson was a member of the 2003 Memorial Cup-winning Kitchener Rangers. Read more
31 Mar 1984: Eddie Johnson, American soccer player Edward Abraham Johnson is an American former soccer player. He played the majority of his fourteen-year club career in the U.S. with FC Dallas, the Kansas City Wizards, Seattle Sounders FC, and D.C. United. Johnson also spent three and a half years with several European clubs. Read more
31 Mar 1984: James Jones, American football player James Deandre Jones is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Jose State Spartans and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. With the Packers, he helped them win Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played for the Oakland Raiders. After his playing career, Jones went into sports media and became an NFL Network analyst. In September 2024, he became a co-host on Fox Sports 1's (FS1) sports talk show The Facility. Read more
31 Mar 1984: Martins Dukurs, Latvian sled racer Martins Dukurs is a former Latvian skeleton racer, currently a coach, who has competed since 1998. He is a six-time world champion in men's skeleton, a double Olympic silver winner, and the athlete with the most World Cup titles with a total of 11, having won eight consecutive titles between 2010 and 2017, plus another three consecutive titles between 2020 and 2022. Read more
31 Mar 1984: Kaie Kand, Estonian heptathlete Kaie Kand is a retired Estonian heptathlete. Her personal best score is 5979 points, achieved in May 2009 in Götzis. In 2009, she set an Estonian national indoor record in the pentathlon. Her coach was Remigija Nazarovienė. Read more
31 Mar 1984: Alberto Junior Rodríguez, Peruvian footballer Alberto Junior Rodríguez Valdelomar, nicknamed El mudo, is a Peruvian former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Read more
31 Mar 1984: Ed Williamson, English rugby player Ed Williamson is a professional contemporary artist and former professional rugby union player. He retired in 2016 after playing for Union Athletic Libournaise. Williamson started his career with Newcastle Falcons who he had played for since the age of 18. He made his first team debut in the 2004/2005 season against Leicester Tigers. He went on to play over 80 games for the club. He has represented England at the U19 level. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Hashim Amla, South African cricketer Hashim Mahomed Amla OIS is a South African former international cricketer who captained the national team in Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen to have played for South Africa, and one of the greatest top-order batsmen of his era. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Ashleigh Ball, Canadian voice actress and musician Ashleigh Adele Ball is a Canadian voice actress and musician. She is known for voicing characters in several toyetic movies and television series, notably the Barbie film series, Bratz, Johnny Test, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot, Littlest Pet Shop, Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, LoliRock, The Deep, Sonic Prime and Ready Jet Go!. She is the subject of the documentary A Brony Tale directed by Brent Hodge, which follows her through her first interactions with the brony community at BronyCon 2012. She is also a member of the pop rock band Hey Ocean!. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Sophie Hunger, Swiss-German musician Sophie Hunger is a Swiss singer-songwriter, film composer, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader, currently living in Berlin. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Vlasios Maras, Greek gymnast Vlasios Maras, Athens, is a Greek gymnast. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Nigel Plum, Australian rugby league player Nigel Plum is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. He was known for his tackling technique. Read more
31 Mar 1982: Tal Ben Haim, Israeli footballer Tal Ben Haim is an Israeli former professional footballer who played at either centre back or right back. He has played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Manchester City, Sunderland, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Standard Liége, Beitar Jerusalem and Charlton Athletic. Read more
31 Mar 1982: Mira Bellwether, American author, artist, and sex educator (died 2022) Mira Bellwether was an American author, artist, and sex educator best known for Fucking Trans Women, a single-issue zine in which she wrote and illustrated all articles. Described in Sexuality & Culture as "a comprehensive guide to trans women's sexuality", Fucking Trans Women was the first publication of note to focus on sex with trans women and was innovative in its focus on trans women's own perspectives and its inclusion of instructions for many of the sex acts depicted. Bellwether was also an advocate for transgender women and in opposition to trans-exclusionary feminism. Read more
31 Mar 1982: Bam Childress, American football player Brandon "Bam" Childress is a former gridiron football wide receiver. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Ohio State. Childress was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Read more
31 Mar 1982: Brian Tyree Henry, American actor Brian Tyree Henry is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received nominations for an Academy Award, an Actor Award, two Critics' Choice Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Read more
31 Mar 1982: Audrey Kawasaki, American painter Audrey Kawasaki is a Los Angeles-based painter, known for her distinctive portrayals of young, adolescent women. Her works are oil paintings painted directly onto wood panels, and her style has been described as a fusion of Art Nouveau and Japanese manga, with primary influences like Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha, saying “The merging of realistically molded faces and bodies against the contrast of flat lines and patterns is so stimulating to me.” Read more
31 Mar 1982: Chien-Ming Wang, Taiwanese baseball player Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals. He also played for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team, and is the current assistant pitching coach for CTBC Brothers. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist George Ryan Bingham is an American singer, actor, songwriter, and guitarist whose music spans multiple genres. He is currently based in Los Angeles. As of 2019, Bingham has released six studio albums and one live album, the last four of which were released under his own label, Axster Bingham Records. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Thomas Chatelle, Belgian footballer Thomas Chatelle is a retired Belgian footballer, who last played for Mons. He normally played as a winger and has gained 3 caps for the Belgium national team. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Han Tae-you, South Korean footballer Han Tae-you is a South Korean football player. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Pa Dembo Touray, Gambian footballer Pa Dembo Touray, is the goalkeeper coach of Prespa Birlik. He is a former Gambian football goalkeeper and national team player for Gambia. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Maarten van der Weijden, Dutch swimmer Maarten van der Weijden is a Dutch former long-distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar. Van der Weijden won the Olympic gold in the 10 km open water marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In 2019, he swam the Elfstedentocht for charity, in which he raised more than €6.1 million. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Martin Albrechtsen, Danish footballer Martin Albrechtsen is a Danish former professional footballer who primarily played as a centre-back. He currently plays for Danish amateur club FK Prespa. He played four games for the Danish national team and is the older brother of Jacob Albrechtsen. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Karolina Lassbo, Swedish lawyer and blogger Karolina Charlotte Lassbo is a Swedish blogger, internet personality and lawyer. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Matias Concha, Swedish footballer Hernán Matias Arsenio Concha is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He started off his career with Malmö FF in 2000 and then represented Djurgårdens IF and VfL Bochum before returning to Malmö FF in 2012. A full international between 2006 and 2008, he won eight caps for the Sweden national team. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Kate Micucci, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress Kate Micucci is an American actress, comedian and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates with Riki Lindhome. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Michael Ryder, Canadian ice hockey player Michael Ryder is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer Maaya Sakamoto is a Japanese actress and singer. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime Little Twins, and became known as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in The Vision of Escaflowne. Other major roles in anime include Leila Malcal in Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, Jeanne d'Arc in Fate/Apocrypha, Shiki Ryōgi in The Garden of Sinners, Eto in Tokyo Ghoul, Riho Yamazaki in Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective, Moe Katsuragi in Risky Safety, Princess Tomoyo in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Haruhi Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club, Sayaka Nakasugi in Birdy the Mighty, Ciel Phantomhive in Black Butler, Shinobu Oshino in Monogatari, Lunamaria Hawke in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, Merlin in The Seven Deadly Sins, Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Quinella in season 3 of Sword Art Online, and Echidna in Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Omri Afek, Israeli footballer Omri Afek is a retired Israeli footballer who last played for Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Euan Burton, Scottish martial artist and coach Euan Michael Burton MBE is a Scottish judoka. His best results include; 2010 World Championship bronze, 2010 Tokyo Grand Slam gold, and 2007 World Championship bronze. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Alexis Ferrero, Argentinian footballer Alexis Javier Ferrero is an Argentine former football centre back. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Charlie Manning, American baseball player Charles Nelson Manning is a former professional baseball relief pitcher who last played for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. He played part of the 2008 season in Major League Baseball for the Washington Nationals. He went to the University of Tampa and is listed with a height of 6'2 and weight of 180 pounds. Manning throws and bats left-handed. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Jonna Mendes, American skier Jonna Mendes is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States. She specialized in the speed events and raced for nine seasons on the World Cup circuit. Mendes competed in two Winter Olympics and four World Championships. She was the bronze medalist in the Super G at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Read more
31 Mar 1979: Rhys Wesser, Australian rugby league player Rhys Joseph Wesser is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a fullback. During his 14 seasons in the NRL, he played for the Penrith Panthers, with whom he won the 2003 NRL Premiership, and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. His 113 tries for the Penrith Panthers is a club record. Wesser was also a Queensland and Indigenous Dreamtime representative. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Michael Clark, Australian cricketer and footballer Michael Wayne Clark is an Australian former cricketer and Australian rules footballer. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Stephen Clemence, English footballer and manager Stephen Neal Clemence is an English football coach and former player who made nearly 250 appearances in the Premier League and Football League playing as a midfielder. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Jarrod Cooper, American football player Jarrod Alexander Cooper is an American former professional football player who was a safety with the Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL draft. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Jérôme Rothen, French footballer Jérôme René Marcel Rothen is a French former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is a football pundit. Read more
31 Mar 1977: Toshiya, Japanese bass player, songwriter, and producer Dir En Grey is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die, bassist Toshiya, and drummer Shinya, they have released eleven full-length albums. Numerous stylistic changes have made the genre of their music difficult to determine, though it is generally considered to be a form of metal. Originally a visual kei band, the members later opted for more subtle attire, but have continued to maintain a dramatic image on stage. Read more
31 Mar 1977: Garth Tander, Australian race car driver Garth Dirk Tander is an Australian former motor racing driver who competed in the Supercars Championship from 1998 to 2025. He was the 2007 champion for the HSV Dealer Team and claimed 57 wins, including six at Australia's most prestigious domestic race, the Bathurst 1000. Read more
31 Mar 1976: Howard Frier, American basketball player Howard Fletcher Frier is an American-Estonian former basketball player. Read more
31 Mar 1976: Igors Sļesarčuks, Latvian-Russian footballer Igors Sļesarčuks is a Latvian-Russian football coach and former player. Read more
31 Mar 1976: Graeme Smith, Scottish swimmer Graeme Smith is a former British freestyle swimmer. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Makis Dreliozis, Greek basketball player Prodromos "Makis" Dreliozis, is a retired Greek professional basketball player. At 2.01 m in height and 91 kg. (200 lbs.) in weight, he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Adam Green, American director, producer, and screenwriter Adam Green is an American actor, filmmaker and musician, best known for his work in horror and comedy films, including the Hatchet franchise, 2010's Frozen, and the television series Holliston. He was also the lead singer for the hard rock and metal band Haddonfield. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Nathan Grey, Australian rugby player and coach Nathan Patrick Grey is a former Australian rugby union footballer, who played mostly at centre, sometimes flyhalf. He is currently the defence coach for the New South Wales Waratahs and the Australian national team. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Cameron Murray, Scottish rugby player Cameron Murray is a Scottish former professional rugby union player who played as a wing. He won 24 caps for the Scotland national team between 1998 and 2001, scoring seven tries. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Ryan Rupe, American baseball player Ryan Kittman Rupe is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Rupe played in the majors for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Boston Red Sox. Read more
31 Mar 1974: Benjamin Eicher, German director, producer, and screenwriter Benjamin Eicher is a film director famous for his cult film sequel Dei Mudder Sei Gesicht II and further feature-length gangster comedies. Read more
31 Mar 1974: Natali, Russian singer, composer and songwriter Natalia Anatolievna Rudina, née Minyayeva (Миняева), better known by stage name Natali (Натали), is a Russian singer, composer, songwriter, and TV presenter. Read more
31 Mar 1974: Stefan Olsdal, Swedish bass player Bo Stefan Alexander Olsdal is a Swedish-Luxembourgish musician, best known as the bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo, he is also part of the electronic band Digital 21 + Stefan Olsdal and launched the electronic/dance remix at Hotel Persona. Read more
31 Mar 1974: Jani Sievinen, Finnish swimmer Jani Nikanor Sievinen is a former medley swimmer from Finland, who won the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In winning the World Championship 200m individual medley title in 1994, he established a new world record of 1:58.16 which lasted for almost nine years until it was broken by Michael Phelps (USA). Read more
31 Mar 1973: Christopher Hampson, English ballet dancer and choreographer Christopher Hampson is an English ballet choreographer and director and former ballet dancer. In August 2012, Hampson succeeded Ashley Page as artistic director of Scottish Ballet, and was appointed CEO/Artistic Director in 2015. Read more
31 Mar 1972: Alejandro Amenábar, Chilean-Spanish director and screenwriter Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos is a Chilean-Spanish film director, screenwriter and composer. He has won nine Goya Awards—including Best Director for his 2001 film The Others—and two European Film Awards among other honors; he also accepted an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film on behalf of Spain for The Sea Inside. He has written the screenplays to all seven of his films and composed almost all of their soundtracks. Read more
31 Mar 1972: Andrew Bowen, American actor, producer, and screenwriter Andrew Bowen is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on Mad TV and voices Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat. Read more
31 Mar 1972: Luca Gentili, Italian footballer and coach Luca Gentili is a former Italian footballer. Read more
31 Mar 1972: Hristos Polihroniou, Greek hammer thrower Hristos Polihroniou is a retired Greek hammer thrower. Read more
31 Mar 1972: Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs Evan Clark Williams is an American internet entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Twitter, and was its CEO from 2008 to 2010, and a member of its board from 2007 to 2019. He founded Blogger and Medium. In 2014, he co-founded the venture capital firm Obvious Ventures. As of May 2025, his net worth is estimated at US$2 billion, according to Forbes. Read more
31 Mar 1971: Demetris Assiotis, Cypriot footballer Demetris Assiotis is a Cypriot former international football midfielder. Read more
31 Mar 1971: Martin Atkinson, English footballer and referee Martin Atkinson is an English referee coach and former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League. He is a member of the West Riding County Football Association. Read more
31 Mar 1971: Pavel Bure, Russian ice hockey player Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played the right wing position. Nicknamed "the Russian Rocket" for his exceptional speed and skill, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers between 1991 and 2003. Trained in the Soviet Union, he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team before his NHL career. Read more
31 Mar 1971: Craig McCracken, American animator, producer, and screenwriter Craig McCracken is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Disney Channel and Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder, and Netflix's Kid Cosmic. Read more
31 Mar 1971: Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to drama and charity. Read more
31 Mar 1970: Alenka Bratušek, Slovenian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Slovenia Alenka Bratušek is a Slovenian politician, who was the Prime Minister of Slovenia from March 2013 until May 2014 as the first woman in Slovenia to hold this position. She was president pro tempore of the Positive Slovenia party from January 2013 until April 2014. On 5 May 2014, Bratušek submitted her resignation as prime minister. Read more
31 Mar 1970: Linn Skåber, Norwegian actress and writer Linn Skåber is a Norwegian actress, singer, comedian, text writer and TV personality. She made her stage début on Oslo Nye Teater (Centralteatret) in 1997, playing the title role in Goldoni's comic opera Mirandolina. Read more
31 Mar 1969: Annabelle Neilson, British socialite (died 2018) Iona Annabelle Neilson was a British socialite, fashion model, author and television personality. She first gained media attention as the muse of the fashion designer Alexander McQueen. She appeared as a cast member on the Bravo reality television series Ladies of London (2014–2015). Read more
31 Mar 1969: Nyamko Sabuni, Burundian-Swedish politician Nyamko Ana Sabuni is a Swedish politician who was Leader of the Liberals between June 2019 and April 2022. She previously served as Minister for Integration from 2006 to 2010 and as Minister for Gender Equality from 2006 to 2013 in the Swedish government. A member of the Liberal Party, Sabuni was elected a Member of Parliament in 2002. Sabuni made history in June 2019 by becoming the first party leader in the Swedish parliament coming from an ethnic minority and the first party leader of a refugee background. In April 2022, Sabuni resigned as party leader. Read more
31 Mar 1969: Steve Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster Steven Delano Smith is an American former professional basketball player who is a basketball analyst for Turner Sports. After a collegiate career with Michigan State, he played with several teams in his 14-season National Basketball Association career, including the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs, but is perhaps best known for his five-year stint with the Atlanta Hawks which included an All-Star Game appearance in 1998. He won a championship with the Spurs in 2003.
Smith was widely regarded as an excellent three-point shooter, and is one of three players to make seven 3-pointers in a quarter. Read more
31 Mar 1968: César Sampaio, Brazilian footballer Carlos César Sampaio Campos, known as César Sampaio, is a Brazilian football pundit, coach and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current technical coordinator of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Santos. Read more
31 Mar 1966: Roger Black, English runner and journalist Roger Anthony Black MBE is an English former athlete who competed internationally for Great Britain and England. During his athletics career, he won individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympic Games and World Championships, two individual gold medals at the European Championships, and 4 × 400 metres relay gold medals at both the World and European Championships. Read more
31 Mar 1966: Nick Firestone, American race car driver Nicholas Stanley Firestone is an American former race car driver. Read more
31 Mar 1965: Tom Barrasso, American ice hockey player and coach Thomas Patrick Barrasso is an American professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 18 seasons. Barrasso began his time in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him fifth overall in the 1983 NHL entry draft out of high school. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988, where he would best be remembered and spend the majority of his career. Barrasso spent parts of 12 seasons with the Penguins, and was a Stanley Cup champion in 1991 and 1992. After being traded to the Ottawa Senators in March 2000 and sitting out the 2000–01 season, his final two seasons were split playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. Barrasso was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. Read more
31 Mar 1965: Patty Fendick, American tennis player and coach Patty Fendick is an American former professional tennis player and the former women's tennis program head coach at University of Texas and head coach at University of Washington. Read more
31 Mar 1965: Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (died 2006) Jean-Christophe Lafaille was a French climber noted for a number of difficult ascents in the Alps and Himalaya, and for what has been described as "perhaps the finest self-rescue ever performed in the Himalaya", when he was forced to descend the mile-high south face of Annapurna alone with a broken arm, after his climbing partner had been killed in a fall. He climbed eleven of the fourteen eight-thousanders, many of them alone or by previously unclimbed routes, but disappeared during a solo attempt to make the first winter ascent of Makalu, the world's fifth highest mountain. Read more
31 Mar 1965: William McNamara, American actor and producer William West McNamara is an American film and television actor. Read more
31 Mar 1965: Steven T. Seagle, American author and screenwriter Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game and animation industries. Read more
31 Mar 1964: Mark Hoban, English accountant and politician Mark Gerard Hoban is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is a former Member of Parliament for Fareham (2001–2015) and former Minister of State for Work and Pensions (2012–2013). Read more
31 Mar 1963: Paul Mercurio, Australian actor and dancer Paul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, choreographer, dancer, TV presenter and politician. Mercurio is best known for his lead role in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom and his role as a judge on TV series Dancing with the Stars. Read more
31 Mar 1962: Olli Rehn, Finnish footballer and politician Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish public official who has been serving as governor of the Bank of Finland since 2018. A member of the Centre Party, he previously served as the European Commissioner for Enlargement from 2004 to 2010, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro from 2010 to 2014, and Minister of Economic Affairs in Juha Sipilä's cabinet from 2015 until 2016. Rehn ran for President of Finland as an independent candidate in 2024, but was not elected. Read more
31 Mar 1962: Georgios Stefanopoulos, Greek boxer Georgios Stefanopoulos is a former boxer from Greece, who participated in two Summer Olympics for his native country in the men's heavyweight division, starting in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. He twice won a medal at the European Championships in the early 1990s. Georgios also had some success in kickboxing, winning a gold medal in the Full-Contact heavyweight category at the W.A.K.O. European Championships 1986. Read more
31 Mar 1961: Ron Brown, American sprinter and football player Ronald James Brown is an American former athlete and professional football player. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Brown played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He went to Arizona State University. Read more
31 Mar 1961: Howard Gordon, American screenwriter and producer Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer. Read more
31 Mar 1959: Markus Hediger, Swiss poet and translator Markus Hediger is a Swiss writer and translator. Read more
31 Mar 1958: Andrea Kuntzl, Austrian politician Andrea Kuntzl is an Austrian politician and member of the National Council. A member of the Social Democratic Party, she has represented Vienna since December 2002. She was a Federal List member of the National Council from October 1999 to December 2002. Read more
31 Mar 1957: Alan Duncan, English businessman and politician, former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Sir Alan James Carter Duncan is a British former politician who served as Minister of State for International Development from 2010 to 2014 and Minister of State for Europe and the Americas from 2016 to 2019, essentially serving as Deputy to Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rutland and Melton from 1992 to 2019. Read more
31 Mar 1955: Svetozar Marović, President of Serbia and Montenegro Svetozar Marović is a Montenegrin lawyer and politician who served as the last head of state and head of government of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 until Montenegro's declaration of independence in 2006. Read more
31 Mar 1955: Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter Angus McKinnon Young is an Australian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolboy-uniform stage outfits and his own version of Chuck Berry's duckwalk. Young was ranked 38th in the 2023 edition of Rolling Stone's 250 greatest guitarists of all time list. In 2003, Young and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read more
31 Mar 1953: Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (died 2014) Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi was a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, music composer, and Christian minister. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, and in 2009 he was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. Read more
31 Mar 1950: András Adorján, Hungarian chess player and author (died 2023) András Adorján was a Hungarian Chess Grandmaster (1973) and author. He adopted his mother's maiden name, Adorján, in 1968. Read more
31 Mar 1950: Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor Ed Marinaro is an American actor and former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Cornell Big Red, where he was a unanimous All-America and won the Maxwell Award in 1971. Read more
31 Mar 1950: Sandra Morgen, American anthropologist and academic (died 2016) Sandra Lynn Morgen was an American feminist anthropologist. At the end of her career, she was a professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, and previously served as vice provost for graduate studies and associate dean of the Graduate School, and director of the University of Oregon Center for the Study of Women in Society. Read more
31 Mar 1949: Gilles Gilbert, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2023) Gilles Gilbert was a Canadian professional goaltender in ice hockey who was drafted in the third round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft from the London Knights. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings, but most notably for the Boston Bruins. Read more
31 Mar 1948: Gary Doer, Canadian politician and diplomat, 20th Premier of Manitoba Gary Albert Doer is a former Canadian politician and diplomat from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served as Canada's ambassador to the United States from 19 October 2009, to 3 March 2016. Doer previously served as the 20th premier of Manitoba from 1999 to 2009, leading a New Democratic Party government. Read more
31 Mar 1948: Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate Albert Arnold Gore Jr. is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented Tennessee in both houses of the U.S. Congress, first as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985, and then as a U.S. senator from 1985 to 1993. Gore was the Democratic nominee in the 2000 presidential election; he lost to George W. Bush despite winning the popular vote. Read more
31 Mar 1948: Rhea Perlman, American actress Rhea Jo Perlman is an American actress and author. She is well-known for playing head waitress Carla Tortelli in the popular sitcom Cheers (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress, winning four, and was nominated for a record six Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series. She has also appeared in films, including Canadian Bacon (1995), Matilda (1996), The Sessions (2012), Poms (2019) and Barbie (2023). In 2025, Perlman had a guest role in the second season of the crime mystery series Poker Face. Read more
31 Mar 1948: Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist Gustaaf (Staf) Van Cauter, is a former racing cyclist. He was born in Mechelen, Belgium. He competed in the team time trial at the 1972 Summer Olympics. As of 2010, Van Cauter is President of molecular imaging company Bioscan. Read more
31 Mar 1947: Augustin Banyaga, Rwandan-American mathematician and academic Augustin Banyaga is a Rwandan-born American mathematician whose research fields include symplectic topology and contact geometry. He is currently a professor of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University. Read more
31 Mar 1947: Wendy Overton, American tennis player Wendy Overton is an American former professional tennis player active in the 1970s. She is known mostly for her performance in doubles. Read more
31 Mar 1947: Kristian Blak, Danish-Faroese pianist, composer, and producer Kristian Blak is a Danish composer, musician, and record executive based in the Faroe Islands. Read more
31 Mar 1947: Don Foster, English academic and politician Donald Michael Ellison Foster, Baron Foster of Bath, is a British politician and life peer who served as Government Deputy Chief Whip and Comptroller of the Household from 2013 to 2015. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Bath from 1992 to 2015. Read more
31 Mar 1947: César Gaviria, Colombian economist and politician, 36th President of Colombia César Augusto Gaviria Trujillo is a Colombian economist and politician who served as the President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994, Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1994 to 2004 and National Director of the Colombian Liberal Party from 2005 to 2009. During his tenure as president, he summoned the Constituent Assembly of Colombia that enacted the Constitution of 1991. Read more
31 Mar 1947: Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and economist (died 2011) Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt was an Israeli business management guru. He was the originator of the Optimized Production Technique, the Theory of Constraints (TOC), the Thinking Processes, Drum-Buffer-Rope, Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and other TOC derived tools. Read more
31 Mar 1946: Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan baseball player (died 1984) Gonzalo Enrique Márquez Moya was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics (1972–73) and Chicago Cubs (1973–74). Although baseball references during his career showed the year of his birth as 1946, his birth certificate showed the true year to be 1940. Márquez presented an ID that showed 1946 when he turned professional. Read more
31 Mar 1946: Bob Russell, English politician Sir Robert Edward Russell is a former Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was the Member of Parliament for Colchester from 1997 to 2015. He was first elected at the 1997 United Kingdom general election and won subsequent re-election in 2001, 2005 and 2010; he was defeated in the 2015 United Kingdom general election by the Conservative candidate Will Quince. Read more
31 Mar 1945: Edwin Catmull, American computer scientist and engineer Edwin Earl Catmull is an American computer scientist and animator who is the co-founder of Pixar and was the president of Walt Disney Animation Studios. He has been recognized for his contributions to 3-D computer graphics, including the 2019 ACM Turing Award. Read more
31 Mar 1945: Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian Gabriel Weston Kaplan is an American actor, comedian, and professional poker player. He played the title character in the 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. He later became a professional poker player and a commentator for the series High Stakes Poker on the Game Show Network. Read more
31 Mar 1945: Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (died 1995) Myfanwy Talog Williams, known professionally as Myfanwy Talog, was a Welsh actress and the long-term partner of English actor David Jason. Read more
31 Mar 1944: Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter Pascal Danel was a French pop singer and composer best known for the hit singles “La Plage aux romantiques” (1966) and “Kilimandjaro” (1967). Read more
31 Mar 1944: Angus King, American politician Angus Stanley King Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who has served since 2013 as the junior United States senator from Maine. A political independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, he served from 1995 to 2003 as the 72nd governor of Maine. Read more
31 Mar 1944: Mick Ralphs, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2025) Michael Geoffrey Ralphs was an English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He was a founding member of English rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company. Despite not being a constant member, he appeared on every studio album released by both bands. In 2011 he formed the Mick Ralphs Blues Band with musicians he had met in a jam session. Read more
31 Mar 1943: Roy Andersson, Swedish director and screenwriter Roy Arne Lennart Andersson is a Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdist humor and melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by long takes, and stiff caricaturing of Swedish culture and grotesque. Over his career Andersson earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival. Read more
31 Mar 1943: Deirdre Clancy, English costume designer Deirdre Clancy is a British costume designer. She has won the Olivier Award for Best Costume Design twice. She also won the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design for Mrs. Brown. Read more
31 Mar 1943: Christopher Walken, American actor Christopher Walken is an American actor. His work on stage and screen has earned him accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Actor Award, as well as nominations for two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe. His films have grossed more than $1.6 billion in the United States. Read more
31 Mar 1942: Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician Ulla Hoffmann is a Swedish Left Party politician. Hoffmann was interim party leader for a short while in 2003 following the resignation of party leader Gudrun Schyman. Gudrun Schyman was forced to resign due to tax irregularities. She was a member of the Riksdag from 1994 to 2006. Read more
31 Mar 1942: Hugh McCracken, American guitarist and producer (died 2013) Hugh Carmine McCracken was an American rock guitarist and session musician based in New York City, primarily known for his performance on guitar and also as a harmonica player. McCracken was additionally an arranger and record producer. Read more
31 Mar 1942: Michael Savage, American far-right radio host and author Michael Alan Weiner known by his professional name Michael Savage, is an American author, political commentator, activist, and former radio host. Savage is best known as the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that aired on Talk Radio Network across the United States until 2021, and in 2009 was the second most listened-to radio talk show in the country with an audience of over 20 million listeners on 400 stations across the United States. From October 23, 2012, to January 1, 2021, Michael Savage had been syndicated by Cumulus Media and Westwood One. He holds master's degrees from the University of Hawaii in medical botany and medical anthropology, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine. As Michael Weiner, he has written books on nutrition, herbal medicine, and homeopathy; as Michael Savage, he has written several political books that have reached The New York Times Best Seller list. Read more
31 Mar 1941: Franco Bonvicini, Italian author and illustrator (died 1995) Bonvi, pen name of Franco Bonvicini, was an Italian comic book artist, creator of the comic strips Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter. Read more
31 Mar 1941: Faith Leech, Australian swimmer (died 2013) Faith Yvonne Leech was an Australian freestyle swimmer who won a gold medal in the 4×100–metre freestyle relay and bronze in the 100-metre freestyle at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Read more
31 Mar 1940: Brian Ackland-Snow, English production designer and art director (died 2013) Brian Ackland-Snow was an English production designer. He won an Oscar in the category Best Art Direction for the film A Room with a View. He also won an Emmy for best art direction for a miniseries or special in 1995 for Scarlett on CBS. His son, Andrew Ackland-Snow, went on to become an art director in films. Read more
31 Mar 1940: Barney Frank, American lawyer and politician Barnett Frank is a retired American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democrat, Frank served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 2011 and was a leading co-sponsor of the 2010 Dodd–Frank Act. Frank, a resident of Newton, Massachusetts, was considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States during his time in Congress. Read more
31 Mar 1940: Patrick Leahy, American lawyer and politician Patrick Joseph Leahy is an American politician and attorney who represented Vermont in the United States Senate from 1975 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2012 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2023. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (died 1993) Zviad Konstantines dze Gamsakhurdia was a Georgian politician, human rights activist, dissident, professor of English language studies and American literature at Tbilisi State University, and writer who became the first democratically elected President of Georgia in May 1991. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Israel Horovitz, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2020) Israel Horovitz was an American playwright, director, actor and co-founder of the Gloucester Stage Company in 1979. He served as artistic director until 2006 and later served on the board, ex officio and as artistic director emeritus until his resignation in November 2017 after The New York Times reported allegations of sexual misconduct. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Walker David Miller, American lawyer and judge (died 2013) Walker David Miller was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Volker Schlöndorff, German director and producer Volker Schlöndorff is a German film director, screenwriter and producer who has worked in Germany, France and the United States. He was a prominent member of the New German Cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer (died 2024) Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was a German footballer who played as a defender. An athletic and hard-tackling player, with a strong physique, he was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality, and for his versatility; indeed, although he was usually deployed as a full-back, he was capable of playing anywhere along the back, and could also play as a centre-back, as a sweeper, or even as a defensive midfielder. He was one of the first successful German footballers abroad. In his prime he was often considered one of the best and most complete left-backs in the world in his era, rivaled only by Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos and Silvio Marzolini. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Patrick Bateson, English biologist and academic (died 2017) Sir Paul Patrick Gordon Bateson, was an English biologist with interests in ethology and phenotypic plasticity. Bateson was a professor at the University of Cambridge and served as president of the Zoological Society of London from 2004 to 2014. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Sheila Dikshit, Indian politician, 22nd Governor of Kerala (died 2019) Sheila Dikshit was an Indian politician. The longest-serving chief minister of Delhi, as well as the longest-serving female chief minister in Indian history, she served for a period of 15 years beginning in 1998. Dikshit led the Indian National Congress party to three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Antje Gleichfeld, German runner Antje Gleichfeld, née Antje Braasch, is a retired German middle-distance runner. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Bill Hicke, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (died 2005) William Lawrence Hicke was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Hicke played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1959 and 1960. Hicke's younger brother is Ernie Hicke. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Jimmy Johnson, American football player (died 2024) James Earl Johnson was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1961 to 1976. He was named to the first team on the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, and in 1994, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (died 2005) Tõnno Lepmets was an Estonian professional basketball player, who competed for the Soviet Union. He won gold with the Soviet basketball team at the 1963 and 1967 EuroBasket.
Elected to the Hall of fame of Estonian basketball in 2010. He was he long-time center (194 cm) of Estonian national team. Read more
31 Mar 1938: Arthur B. Rubinstein, American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2018) Arthur Benjamin Rubinstein was an American Emmy Award-winning composer. He composed several television series soundtracks and songs for film scores. He was frequently hired by film director John Badham, and the majority of his movie soundtracks are found in Badham's work, including Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), WarGames (1983), Blue Thunder (1983), Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1986), Stakeout (1987), The Hard Way (1991), Another Stakeout (1993), and Nick of Time (1995). He was also member of the band The Beepers. Read more
31 Mar 1938: David Steel, Scottish academic and politician David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood is a Scottish retired politician. Elected as Member of Parliament for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, followed by Tweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale, he served as the final leader of the Liberal Party, from 1976 to 1988. His tenure spanned the duration of the alliance with the Social Democratic Party, which began in 1981 and concluded with the formation of the Liberal Democrats in 1988.
As an MP, he introduced the Abortion Act 1967 which legalised abortion in the UK. Read more
31 Mar 1936: Marge Piercy, American poet and novelist Marge Piercy is an American progressive activist, feminist, and writer. Her work includes Woman on the Edge of Time; He, She and It, which won the 1993 Arthur C. Clarke Award; and Gone to Soldiers, a New York Times Best Seller and a sweeping historical novel set during World War II. Piercy's work is rooted in her Jewish heritage, Marxist social and political activism, and feminist ideals. Read more
31 Mar 1936: Walter E. Williams, American economist and academic (died 2020) Walter Edward Williams was an American economist, commentator, and academic. Williams was the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University, a syndicated columnist, and author. Williams held classical liberal and libertarian views, and wrote frequently for Townhall, WND, and Jewish World Review. Williams was also a popular guest host of The Rush Limbaugh Show when Limbaugh was unavailable. Read more
31 Mar 1935: Herb Alpert, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer Herb Alpert is an American musician who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Read more
31 Mar 1935: Judith Rossner, American author (died 2005) Judith Rossner was an American novelist, best known for her acclaimed best sellers Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1975) and August (1983). Read more
31 Mar 1934: Richard Chamberlain, American actor (died 2025) George Richard Chamberlain was an American actor and singer whose career on stage and in film and television spanned over 60 years. He was the recipient of many accolades, including three Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, two Drama Desk Award nominations, and a Grammy Award nomination. Read more
31 Mar 1934: Shirley Jones, American actress and singer Shirley Mae Jones is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), and The Music Man (1962). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer Gantry (1960). She played the lead role of Shirley Partridge, the widowed mother of five children, in the musical situation-comedy television series The Partridge Family (1970–1974), which co-starred her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, son of Jack Cassidy. Read more
31 Mar 1934: John D. Loudermilk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2016) John Dee Loudermilk Jr. was an American singer and songwriter. Although he had his own recording career during the 1950s and 1960s, he was primarily known as a songwriter. Read more
31 Mar 1934: Grigory Nelyubov, Soviet pilot and cosmonaut (died 1966) Grigory Grigoryevich Nelyubov was one of the original 20 Soviet cosmonauts, who was dismissed from the Soviet space program in 1963 for drunk and disorderly conduct. His existence in the program was kept secret until the advent of Soviet glasnost in the late 1980s. He killed himself on 18 February 1966. Read more
31 Mar 1934: Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Carlo Rubbia is an Italian particle physicist and inventor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984 with Simon van der Meer for work leading to the discovery of the W and Z particles at CERN. Read more
31 Mar 1934: Kamala Surayya, Indian poet and author (died 2009) Kamala Surayya , popularly known by her one-time pen name Madhavikutty and married name Kamala Das, was an Indian poet in English as well as an author in Malayalam from Kerala, India. Her fame in Kerala primarily stems from her short stories and autobiography, My Story, whereas her body of work in English, penned under the pseudonym Kamala Das, is renowned for its poems and candid autobiography. Her works are known for originality, versatility and indigenous flavour of the soil. She was also a widely read columnist and wrote on diverse topics including women's issues, child care, politics, etc. Her liberal treatment of female sexuality, marked her as an iconoclast in popular culture of her generation. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at Jehangir Hospital in Pune. Read more
31 Mar 1933: Anita Carter, American singer-songwriter and bassist (died 1999) Ina Anita Carter was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, and autoharp. She performed with her sisters, Helen and June, and her mother, Maybelle, initially under the name The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle. Carter had three top 10 hits as well as other charting singles. She was the first to record the songs "Blue Boy" and "Ring of Fire". Carter was also a songwriter, most notably co-writing the Johnny Cash hit "Rosanna's Going Wild." Read more
31 Mar 1933: Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (died 1983) Nichita Stănescu was a Romanian poet and essayist. Read more
31 Mar 1932: John Jakes, American author (died 2023) John William Jakes was an American writer, best known for historical and speculative fiction. His American Civil War trilogy, North and South, has sold millions of copies worldwide. He was also the author of The Kent Family Chronicles. Jakes used the pen name Jay Scotland among others. Read more
31 Mar 1932: Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (died 2013) Nagisa Ōshima was a Japanese film director, writer, and left-wing activist who is best known for his fiction films, of which he directed 23 features in a career spanning from 1959 to 1999. He is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time, and as one of the most important figures of the Japanese New Wave, alongside Shōhei Imamura. His film style was bold, innovative and provocative. Common themes in his work include youthful rebellion, class and racial discrimination and taboo sexuality. Read more
31 Mar 1931: Miller Barber, American golfer (died 2013) Miller Westford Barber Jr. was an American professional golfer. He enjoyed significant success on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s, and a greater degree of success on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s. Read more
31 Mar 1931: Tamara Tyshkevich, Belarusian shot putter (died 1997) Tamara Andreevna Tyshkevich was a Soviet shot putter. She won an Olympic gold medal in 1956 and placed fourth in 1952, losing to her long-term rival Galina Zybina. At the European championships she won a bronze medal in 1954 and a silver in 1958. Read more
31 Mar 1930: Yehuda Nir, Polish-American psychiatrist (died 2014) Yehuda Nir was a Polish-born American Holocaust survivor, psychiatrist and author of The Lost Childhood. Nir posed as a Roman Catholic and learned Latin to escape Nazi persecution in Poland during World War II. Nir's ordeal led him to a career as a psychiatrist, specializing in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and severely ill children. He immigrated to the United States in 1959 to complete medical residencies in New York City and Philadelphia. He served as the chief of child psychiatry of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 1979 until 1986. Read more
31 Mar 1930: Jim Mutscheller, American football player and coach (died 2015) James "Bucky" Mutscheller was an American professional football player who played tight end and split end for nine seasons with the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Read more
31 Mar 1929: Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (died 2007) Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Her success was built upon stylish yet affordable apparel for career women featuring colorfully tailored separates that could be mixed and matched. Claiborne co-founded Liz Claiborne Inc., which in 1986 became the first company founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500 list. Claiborne was the first woman to become chair and CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Read more
31 Mar 1929: Bert Fields, American lawyer and author (died 2022) Bertram Harris Fields was an American lawyer noted for his work in the field of entertainment law. He represented many of the leading film studios, as well as numerous celebrities, and lectured at both Stanford and Harvard Law Schools. Fields was also a musician and an author of both fiction and non-fiction books. Read more
31 Mar 1928: Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1975) William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell was an American country and honky-tonk singer-songwriter. Read more
31 Mar 1928: Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2016) Gordon Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey", Howe is often considered the most complete player ever to play the game and one of the greatest of all time. At his retirement, his 801 goals, 1,049 assists, and 1,850 total points were all NHL records that stood until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky, who himself has been a major champion of Howe's legacy. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he shares the NHL record for seasons played with Chris Chelios, and his all-time NHL games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau. In 2017, Howe was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players". Read more
31 Mar 1927: Cesar Chavez, American labor union leader and activist (died 1993) Cesario Estrada "Cesar" Chavez was an American labor unionist and political activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Ideologically, his worldview combined leftism with Catholic social teaching. Read more
31 Mar 1927: William Daniels, American actor William David Daniels is an American actor, known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig on the drama series St. Elsewhere, for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT on the television series Knight Rider; and George Feeny on the sitcom Boy Meets World, which earned him four People's Choice Award nominations. He reprised his Knight Rider role in the sequel TV movie Knight Rider 2000 and his Boy Meets World role in the sequel series Girl Meets World. He also portrayed Carter Nash in Captain Nice. Read more
31 Mar 1927: Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Spanish cardinal (died 2021) Eduardo Martínez Somalo was a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who spent most of his career in the Roman Curia, first in the Secretariat of State from 1956 to 1975 and from 1979 to 1988, and then leading two of its principal dicasteries: the Congregation for Divine Worship from 1988 to 1992 and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life from 1992 to 2004. Read more
31 Mar 1927: Vladimir Ilyushin, Russian pilot (died 2010) Vladimir Sergeyevich Ilyushin was a Russian military officer and a test pilot in the former Soviet space program. Ilyushin was a son of the famous aviation designer Sergey Ilyushin, and whose career was mostly as a test pilot for the Sukhoi OKB. After retiring from the space program, Ilyushin became a sports administrator and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013. Read more
31 Mar 1927: Elmer Diedtrich, American businessman and politician (died 2013)
Elmer Diedtrich was an American politician and businessman. Read more
31 Mar 1927: Bud MacPherson, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1988) James Albert "Bud" MacPherson was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played 259 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens from 1949 to 1957. With Montreal, he won the Stanley Cup in 1953. The rest of his career lasted from 1947 to 1961 and was spent in the minor leagues. He was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2005 as a member of the 1947-48 Edmonton Flyers Hockey Team. Read more
31 Mar 1926: John Fowles, English novelist (died 2005) John Robert Fowles was an English novelist, critically positioned between modernism and postmodernism. His work was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, among others. Read more
31 Mar 1926: Beni Montresor, Italian director, set designer, author, and illustrator (died 2001) Beni Montresor was an Italian artist, opera and film director, set designer, author and children's book illustrator. He won the 1965 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing May I Bring a Friend?. The Italian government knighted him in 1966 for his contributions to the arts. Read more
31 Mar 1926: Rocco Petrone, American colonel and engineer (died 2006) Rocco Anthony Petrone was an American mechanical engineer, U.S. Army officer and NASA official. He served as director of launch operations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) from 1966 to 1969, as Apollo program director at NASA Headquarters from 1969 to 1973, as third director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center from 1973 to 1974, and as NASA Associate Administrator from 1974 until his retirement from NASA in 1975. Read more
31 Mar 1925: Jean Coutu, Canadian actor and director (died 1999) Jean Coutu was a Canadian actor. Born in Montreal, his career included many movies and TV series in Quebec, including episodes of La famille Plouffe in 1953. He also played in a Disney production Nikki, Wild Dog of the North, becoming one of the few Quebecers of his era to have appeared in Hollywood productions. Read more
31 Mar 1924: Leo Buscaglia, American author and academic (died 1998) Felice Leonardo Buscaglia, also known as "Dr. Love", was an American author, motivational speaker, and a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California. Read more
31 Mar 1924: Charles Guggenheim, American director and producer (died 2002) Charles Eli Guggenheim was an American documentary film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was the most honored documentary filmmaker in the academy history, winning four Oscars from twelve nominations. Read more
31 Mar 1923: Don Barksdale, American basketball player (died 1993) Donald Argee Barksdale was an American professional basketball player. He was a pioneer as an African-American basketball player, becoming the first to be named NCAA All-American, the first to play on a United States men's Olympic basketball team, and the first to play in a National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Read more
31 Mar 1923: François Sermon, Belgian footballer (died 2013) François Sermon was a Belgian footballer who played as a midfielder for Anderlecht and the Belgium national team. He died on 17 March 2013, at the age of 89. Read more
31 Mar 1922: Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (died 1999) Richard Paul Kiley was an American stage, film, and television actor and singer. He is best known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Kiley originated the role of Don Quixote in the original 1965 production of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha and was the first to sing and record "The Impossible Dream", the hit song from the show. In the 1953 hit musical Kismet, he played the Caliph in the original Broadway cast and as such was one of the quartet who sang "And This Is My Beloved". He also won four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards during his five-decade career and his "sonorous baritone" was also featured in the narration of a number of documentaries and other films. At the time of his death, Kiley was described as "one of theater's most distinguished and versatile actors" and as "an indispensable actor, the kind of performer who could be called on to play kings and commoners and a diversity of characters in between." Read more
31 Mar 1922: Patrick Magee, Irish actor (died 1982) Patrick George Magee was an Irish actor. He was noted for his collaborations with playwrights Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, sometimes called "Beckett's favourite actor," as well as creating the role of the Marquis de Sade in the original stage and screen productions of Marat/Sade. Read more
31 Mar 1921: Lowell Fulson, African-American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999) Lowell Fulson was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s. Read more
31 Mar 1921: Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (died 2011) Peggy Jane Rea was an American actress known for her many roles in television, often playing matronly characters. Read more
31 Mar 1921: John Ugelstad, Norwegian chemical engineer and inventor (died 1997) John Ugelstad was a Norwegian chemical engineer and inventor, known for discovering a process to manufacture monodisperse micropellets or microbeads and dynabeads. He was a professor at the Norwegian Institute of Technology and consultant for DuPont. Read more
31 Mar 1920: Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, British aristocrat, socialite and author (died 2014) Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire,, was an English aristocrat, writer, memoirist, and socialite. She was the youngest and last surviving of the six Mitford sisters, who were prominent members of British society in the 1930s and 1940s. Read more
31 Mar 1919: Frank Akins, American football player (died 1993) Frank Scott Akins was an American football running back who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington State University and was drafted in the 30th round of the 1943 NFL draft. He taught history and drivers education at Anderson High School, Anderson, CA. Read more
31 Mar 1918: Ted Post, American director (died 2013) Theodore Ian Post was an American film, television, and theatre director. He directed numerous episodes of well-known television series during the 1950s and '60s, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and two Directors Guild of America Awards for his work. His feature film directing credits included the Clint Eastwood vehicles Hang 'Em High (1968) and Magnum Force (1973), the Planet of the Apes film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), the Vietnam War film Go Tell the Spartans (1978), and the Chuck Norris action picture Good Guys Wear Black. Read more
31 Mar 1917: Dorothy DeLay, American violinist and educator (died 2002) Dorothy DeLay was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Read more
31 Mar 1916: Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (died 2012) Lucille Theresa Bliss was an American actress, known in the Bay Area and in Hollywood as the "Girl With a Thousand Voices". Read more
31 Mar 1916: Tommy Bolt, American golfer (died 2008) Thomas Henry Bolt was an American professional golfer. He did not join the PGA Tour until he was in his thirties, but he went on to win 15 PGA Tour titles, including the 1958 U.S. Open. He played in the Ryder Cup in 1955 and 1957. Read more
31 Mar 1916: John H. Wood, Jr., American lawyer and judge (died 1979) John Howland Wood Jr. was an American lawyer and judge from Texas. He served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas in 1970 until his assassination in 1979. His murder was the first assassination of a federal judge in the 20th century. Read more
31 Mar 1915: Albert Hourani, English historian and author (died 1993) Albert Habib Hourani, was a Lebanese British historian, specialising in the history of the Middle East and Middle Eastern studies. Read more
31 Mar 1915: Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese sergeant (died 1997) Shōichi Yokoi was a Japanese soldier who served as a sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during the Second World War and was one of the last three Japanese holdouts to be found after the end of hostilities in 1945. He was discovered in the jungles of Guam on 24 January 1972, almost 28 years after U.S. forces had regained control of the island in 1944. Read more
31 Mar 1914: Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1998) Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican philosopher, poet, and diplomat. For his body of work, he was awarded the 1977 Jerusalem Prize, the 1981 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, and the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
31 Mar 1914: Dagmar Lange, Swedish author (died 1991) Dagmar Maria Lange was a Swedish author of crime fiction under the pen name Maria Lang. She was one of the first detective novelists in the Swedish language, and her books helped make the genre popular in Sweden. Read more
31 Mar 1913: Etta Baker, African-American singer and guitarist (died 2006) Etta Baker was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina. Read more
31 Mar 1912: William Lederer, American soldier and author (died 2009) William Julius Lederer, Jr. was an American author and naval officer. Read more
31 Mar 1911: Freddie Green, American guitarist (died 1987) Frederick William Green was an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years. Read more
31 Mar 1911: Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano (died 1986) Elisabeth Grümmer was a German soprano. She has been described as "a singer blessed with elegant musicality, warm-hearted sincerity, and a voice of exceptional beauty". Read more
31 Mar 1908: Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (died 1999) Red Norvo was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His recordings included "Dance of the Octopus", "Bughouse", "Knockin' on Wood", "Congo Blues", and "Hole in the Wall". Read more
31 Mar 1906: Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1979) Shinichiro Tomonaga , usually cited as Sin-Itiro Tomonaga in English, was a Japanese physicist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics (QED), with deep-ploughing consequences for the physics of elementary particles". Read more
31 Mar 1905: Robert Stevenson, English director and screenwriter (died 1986) Robert Edward Stevenson was a British-American screenwriter and film director. Read more
31 Mar 1905: George Treweek, Australian rugby league player (died 1991) George Treweek was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a towering second-row in his time, who formed an integral part of the champion South Sydney teams of the 1920s and early 1930s. He is rated as one of the finest second-row forwards ever to play for Australia. Read more
31 Mar 1900: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (died 1974) Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was a member of the British royal family. He was the third son of King George V and Queen Mary, and was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and George VI. He served as the 11th governor-general of Australia from 1945 to 1947, the only prince to hold the post. Read more
31 Mar 1895: Vardis Fisher, American author and academic (died 1968) Vardis Alvero Fisher was an American writer from Idaho who wrote popular historical novels of the Old West. After studying at the University of Utah and the University of Chicago, Fisher taught English at the University of Utah and then at the Washington Square College of New York University until 1931. He worked with the Federal Writers' Project to write the Works Project Administration The Idaho Guide, which was published in 1937. In 1939, Fisher wrote Children of God, a historical novel concerning the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The novel won the Harper Prize. In 1940, Fisher relocated to Hagerman, Idaho, and spent the next twenty years writing the 12-volume Testament of Man (1943–1960) series of novels, depicting the history of humans from cavemen to civilization. Fisher's novel Mountain Man (1965) was adapted into the film Jeremiah Johnson (1972). Read more
31 Mar 1893: Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (died 1954) Clemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and Richard Wagner. He founded the New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic and conducted it until 1954. Read more
31 Mar 1893: Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt, German physician and historian (died 1982) Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt was a German internist, art historian, and cultural historian. Read more
31 Mar 1891: Victor Varconi, Hungarian-American actor and director (died 1976) Victor Varconi was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where he continued to appear in films throughout the sound era. He also appeared in British and Italian films. Read more
31 Mar 1890: Ben Adams, American jumper (died 1961) Benjamin Willard Adams was an American athlete who competed mainly in the standing jumps. At the 1912 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal in the standing high jump and a bronze in the standing long jump, while his elder brother Platt Adams won a gold and a silver, respectively. Ben also competed in the exhibition baseball tournament for Sweden. Read more
31 Mar 1890: William Lawrence Bragg, Australian-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) Sir William Lawrence Bragg was an Australian-born British X-ray crystallographer who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his father William Henry Bragg – the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays," an important step in the development of X-ray crystallography. Read more
31 Mar 1885: Pascin, Bulgarian-American painter and illustrator (died 1930) Julius Mordecai Pincas, known as Pascin, Jules Pascin, also known as the "Prince of Montparnasse", was a Bulgarian artist of the School of Paris, known for his paintings and drawings. He later became an American citizen. His most frequent subject was women, depicted in casual poses, usually nude or partly dressed. Read more
31 Mar 1884: Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (died 1946) Adriaan van Maanen was a Dutch-American astronomer. Born in Friesland, he studied astronomy at the University of Utrecht, earning his Ph.D. in 1911, and worked briefly at the University of Groningen. In 1911, he came to the United States to work as a volunteer in an unpaid capacity at Yerkes Observatory. Within a year he got a position at the Mount Wilson Observatory, where he remained active until his death in 1946. Read more
31 Mar 1878: Jack Johnson, American boxer (died 1946) John Arthur Johnson, nicknamed the "Galveston Giant", was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). His 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the "fight of the century". Johnson defeated Jeffries, who was white, triggering dozens of race riots across the U.S. According to filmmaker Ken Burns, "for more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African American on Earth". He is widely regarded as one of the most influential boxers in history. Read more
31 Mar 1876: Borisav Stanković, Serbian author (died 1927) Borisav "Bora" Stanković was a Serbian writer belonging to the school of realism. His novels and short stories depict the life of people from South Serbia. He belongs to an exceptional group of storytellers that appeared at the turn of the 20th century, Ivo Ćipiko, Petar Kočić, Milutin Uskoković, Svetolik Ranković, Veljko Milićević and others. Read more
31 Mar 1874: Benjamín G. Hill, Mexican revolutionary general, governor of Sonora (died 1920) Gen. Benjamín Guillermo Hill Salido was a military commander during the Mexican Revolution. He was a cousin of revolutionary general and later president Álvaro Obregón Salido, whom he supported from the beginning of his rise to power. He was called "Obregón's lost right arm," alluding to the arm his cousin lost in the 1915 Battle of Celaya, defeating General Pancho Villa. Read more
31 Mar 1874: Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer (died 1934) Henri Marteau was a French violinist and composer. Read more
31 Mar 1872: Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet manager and critic, founded the Ballets Russes (died 1929) Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, also known as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise. Read more
31 Mar 1871: Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (died 1922) Arthur Joseph Griffith was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that produced the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, and served as the president of Dáil Éireann from January 1922 until his death that August. Read more
31 Mar 1865: Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indian physician (died 1887) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first Indian female doctor of western medicine along with Kadambini Ganguly. Read more
31 Mar 1859: Emil Fenyvessy, Hungarian actor and screenwriter (died 1924) Emil Fenyvessy was a Hungarian actor. Read more
31 Mar 1855: Alfred E. Hunt, American businessman (died 1899) Alfred Ephraim Hunt (1855-1899) was a 19th-century American metallurgist and industrialist best known for founding the company that would eventually become Alcoa, the world's largest producer and distributor of aluminum. Read more
31 Mar 1851: Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1936) Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of New Zealand from 14 to 30 May 1925. He was the first New Zealand-born prime minister, holding office in a caretaker capacity following the death of William Massey. Read more
31 Mar 1847: Hermann de Pourtalès, Swiss sailor (died 1904) Count Hermann Alexander de Pourtalès was a Swiss sailor who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. Read more
31 Mar 1847: Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and theorist (died 1878) Yegor (Egor) Ivanovich Zolotaryov was a Russian mathematician. Read more
31 Mar 1835: John La Farge, American artist (died 1910) John La Farge was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics. La Farge made stained glass windows, mainly for churches on the American east coast, beginning with a large commission for Henry Hobson Richardson's Trinity Church in Boston in 1878, and continuing for thirty years. La Farge designed stained glass as an artist, as a specialist in color, and as a technical innovator, holding a patent granted in 1880 for superimposing panes of glass. That patent would be key in his dispute with contemporary and rival Louis Comfort Tiffany. Read more
31 Mar 1833: Mary Abigail Dodge, American writer and essayist (died 1896) Mary Abigail Dodge was an American writer and essayist, who wrote under the pseudonym Gail Hamilton. Her writing is noted for its wit and promotion of equality of education and occupation for women. She was an abolitionist. Read more
31 Mar 1823: Mary Boykin Chesnut, American author (died 1886) Mary Boykin Chesnut was an American writer noted for a book published as her Civil War diary, a "vivid picture of a society in the throes of its life-and-death struggle." She described the war from within her upper-class circles of Southern planter society, but encompassed all classes in her book. She was married to James Chesnut Jr., a lawyer who served as a United States senator and officer in the Confederate States Army. Read more
31 Mar 1819: Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (died 1901) Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey, usually referred to as the Prince of Hohenlohe, was a German statesman, who served as the imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1894 to 1900. Prior to his appointment as Chancellor, he had served in a number of other positions, including as minister-president of Bavaria (1866–1870), German Ambassador to Paris (1873–1880), Foreign Secretary (1880) and Imperial Lieutenant of Alsace-Lorraine (1885–1894). He was regarded as one of the most prominent liberal politicians of his time in Germany. Read more
31 Mar 1813: Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860–1862) (died 1898) Félix María Zuloaga Trillo was a Mexican conservative general and politician who played a key role in the outbreak of the Reform War in early 1860, a war which would see him elevated to the presidency of the nation. President Zuloaga was unrecognized by, and fought against, the liberal supporters of President Benito Juárez. Read more
31 Mar 1809: Edward FitzGerald, English poet and translator (died 1883) Edward FitzGerald or Fitzgerald was an English poet and writer. His most famous poem is the first and best-known English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which has kept its reputation and popularity since the 1860s. Read more
31 Mar 1809: Otto Lindblad, Swedish composer (died 1864) Otto Jonas Lindblad, was a Swedish composer. He is most famous for the musical score of Kungssången, the Swedish royal anthem. Read more

🕊️ Important Deaths on 31 March in World History

31 Mar 2025: Sian Barbara Allen, American television actress (born 1946) Sian Barbara Allen was an American actress who mainly appeared on television throughout the 1970s. A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Allen studied at the Pasadena Playhouse before appearing in her first screen role on the series O'Hara, U.S. Treasury in 1971. She went on to appear in numerous television series in the ensuing years, including recurring appearances on The Waltons, Gunsmoke, and Ironside. Read more
31 Mar 2025: Betty Webb, English code breaker (born 1923) Charlotte Elizabeth Webb was an English code breaker who worked at Bletchley Park during World War II from the age of 18. In 1941 she joined the British Auxiliary Territorial Service. She said, of joining the top-secret mission at Bletchley, "I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls." Read more
31 Mar 2024: Barbara Rush, American actress (born 1927) Barbara Rush was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. In 1954, she won the Golden Globe Award for most promising female newcomer for her role in the 1953 American science-fiction film It Came from Outer Space. Later in her career, Rush became a regular performer in the television series Peyton Place, and appeared in TV movies, miniseries, and a variety of other programs, including the soap opera All My Children and the family drama 7th Heaven, as well as starring in films such as The Young Philadelphians, The Young Lions, Robin and the 7 Hoods, and Hombre. Read more
31 Mar 2022: Shirley Burkovich, former American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) player (born 1933) Shirley Burkovich was an American professional baseball infielder, outfielder and pitcher who played from 1949 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), she batted and threw right-handed. Read more
31 Mar 2022: Patrick Demarchelier, French fashion photographer (born 1943) Patrick Demarchelier was a French fashion photographer. Read more
31 Mar 2022: Moana Jackson, New Zealand lawyer specialising in constitutional law (born 1945) Moana Jackson was a New Zealand lawyer specialising in constitutional law, the Treaty of Waitangi and international indigenous issues. He was an advocate and activist for Māori rights, arguing that the New Zealand criminal justice system was discriminatory and leading work on constitutional reforms. In 1987 he co-founded Ngā Kaiwhakamarama i Ngā Ture. He also supported the rights of indigenous people internationally – for example, through leading the working group that drafted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and sitting as a judge on the International Tribunal of Indigenous Rights in the 1990s. Read more
31 Mar 2022: Tullio Moneta, Italian mercenary and actor (born 1937)
Tullio Moneta was an Italian actor and mercenary. He acted in 15 films between 1970 and 1990, starring in the feature film The Lion's Share. He also played a role in the Afrikaans language film Aanslag op Kariba in 1973, produced by Brigadiers Films. He was, together with Mike Hoare, the military advisor for the film The Wild Geese (1978). Read more
31 Mar 2021: Ken Reitz, American baseball player (born 1951) Kenneth John Reitz was an American baseball third baseman who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Zamboni", he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1972 to 1982. He won the Gold Glove Award in 1975 and was an All-Star in 1980. He retired with the highest all-time career fielding percentage for National League third basemen at .970 after leading the National League in fielding percentage a record six times. Read more
31 Mar 2021: Muhammad Wakkas, Bangladeshi teacher and parliamentarian (born 1952) Muhammad Wakkas was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher, former Member of Parliament and State Minister. He was the founder of Jamia Imdadia Madaninagar Madrasa, the largest madrasa in South Bengal, accommodating roughly 2000 students. Read more
31 Mar 2020: Gita Ramjee, Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher (born 1956) Gita Ramjee was a Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher in HIV prevention. In 2018, she was awarded the ‘Outstanding Female Scientist’ award from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. She died in uMhlanga, South Africa, from COVID-19 related complications. Read more
31 Mar 2019: Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (born 1985) Ermias Joseph Asghedom, known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, activist and entrepreneur. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle self-released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success, leading him to sign with Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records. Read more
31 Mar 2018: Nick Newton, inventor of the Newton Starting Blocks (born 1933) Milton "Nick" Newton was the inventor of the Newton Starting Blocks. Newton blocks are considered by many to be the best in the world, used at many major track meets like the Mt. SAC Relays. Read more
31 Mar 2017: Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (born 1951) Gilbert Baker was an American artist, designer, activist, and vexillographer, best known as the creator of the rainbow flag. Read more
31 Mar 2017: James Rosenquist, American artist (born 1933) James Albert Rosenquist was an American artist and one of the proponents of the pop art movement. Drawing from his background working in sign painting, Rosenquist's pieces often explored the role of advertising and consumer culture in art and society, utilizing techniques he learned making commercial art to depict popular cultural icons and mundane everyday objects. While his works have often been compared to those from other key figures of the pop art movement, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, Rosenquist's pieces were unique in the way that they often employed elements of surrealism using fragments of advertisements and cultural imagery to emphasize the overwhelming nature of ads. He was a 2001 inductee into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Read more
31 Mar 2016: Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian, actor and screenwriter (born 1930) Ronald Balfour Corbett was a Scottish comedian and actor. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC Television comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies (1971–87), becoming known for his meandering chair monologues, and starred in sitcoms such as No – That's Me Over Here! (1967–70), Now Look Here (1971–73), and Sorry! (1981–88). Read more
31 Mar 2016: Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician (born 1927) Hans-Dietrich Genscher was a German statesman and a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), who served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 1969 to 1974, and as Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1992, making him the longest-serving occupant of either post and the only person to have held one of these positions under two different Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1991 he was chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Read more
31 Mar 2016: Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (born 1950) Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer. She is recognised as a key figure in the architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and later enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. In search of an alternative to traditional architectural drawing, and influenced by Suprematism and the Russian avant-garde, Hadid adopted painting as a design tool and abstraction as a method to "reinvestigate the aborted and untested experiments of Modernism […] to unveil new fields of building". Read more
31 Mar 2016: Imre Kertész, Hungarian author, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1929) Imre Kertész was a Hungarian author and recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature, "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history". He was the first Hungarian to win the Nobel in Literature. His works deal with themes of the Holocaust, dictatorship, and personal freedom. Read more
31 Mar 2016: Denise Robertson, British writer and television broadcaster (born 1932) Denise Robertson was a British writer and television broadcaster. She made her television debut as the presenter of the Junior Advice Line segment of the BBC's Breakfast Time programme in 1985, though she is best known as the resident agony aunt on the ITV show This Morning from its first broadcast on 3 October 1988 until her death. In the course of her career, she dealt with over 200,000 letters from viewers seeking advice. In 2006 she was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to broadcasting. Read more
31 Mar 2015: Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (born 1931) Elizabeth Ann Dewar Churcher was an Australian arts administrator, best known as director of the National Gallery of Australia from 1990 to 1997. She was also a painter in her own right earlier in her life. Read more
31 Mar 2015: Cocoa Fujiwara, Japanese author and illustrator (born 1983) Cocoa Fujiwara was a Japanese manga artist and illustrator from Fukuoka Prefecture. Her debut was with a work called Calling, which she made when she was fifteen. She chose not to go to high school so that she could draw manga. Fujiwara was a fan of RPGs such as Final Fantasy, which shows in her works. She was also good friends of Jun Mochizuki and Yana Toboso. Read more
31 Mar 2015: Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (born 1937) Carlos Gaviria Díaz was a Colombian lawyer, professor and politician. He served as the 5th Chief Magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Colombia, where he served as a Magistrate from 1993 to 2001. After retiring from the Court he went into politics, becoming a Senator of Colombia in 2002, and running for President as an Alternative Democratic Pole candidate in the 2006 presidential election, ultimately losing to ex-president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who was seeking his second term in office. Read more
31 Mar 2015: Dalibor Vesely, Czech-English historian, author, and academic (born 1934) Dalibor Vesely was a Czech-born architectural historian and theorist who was influential through his teaching and writing in promoting the role of hermeneutics and phenomenology as part of the discourse of architecture and of architectural design. Read more
31 Mar 2014: Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (born 1931) Gonzalo Anes Álvarez de Castrillón was a Spanish economist, professor and historian. He was director of the Royal Academy of History. Read more
31 Mar 2014: Roger Somville, Belgian painter (born 1923) Roger Somville was a modern Belgian painter. He defended realism against modern abstract art, which he believed de-humanize human beings. Read more
31 Mar 2013: Charles Amarin Brand, French archbishop (born 1920) Charles-Amarin Brand was a French prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Read more
31 Mar 2013: Ernie Bridge, Australian singer and politician (born 1936) Ernest Francis Bridge, AM was an Australian parliamentarian and country music singer. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 2001, representing the electorate of Kimberley, first as a Labor Party representative (1980–1996) and then as a Labor Independent MP (1996–2001). He was the first indigenous Australian to be a Cabinet minister in any Australian government. Read more
31 Mar 2013: Bob Clarke, American illustrator (born 1926) Robert J. "Bob" Clarke was an American illustrator whose work appeared in advertisements and MAD Magazine. The label of the Cutty Sark bottle is his creation. Clarke was born in Mamaroneck, New York. He resided in Seaford, Delaware. Read more
31 Mar 2013: Ahmad Sayyed Javadi, Iranian lawyer and politician, Iranian Minister of Interior (born 1917) Ahmad Sayyed Javadi was an Iranian lawyer, political activist and politician, who served as interior minister and justice minister. He was the first interior minister after the 1979 revolution in Iran. Read more
31 Mar 2013: Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (born 1980) Dmitri Viktorovich Uchaykin was a Russian ice hockey left-winger. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Judith Adams, New Zealand-Australian nurse and politician (born 1943) Judith Anne Adams was a New Zealand-born Australian politician, midwife, nurse, and farmer, who served as a member of the Australian Senate between 2005 and 2012, representing the state of Western Australia. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Dale R. Corson, American physicist and academic (born 1914) Dale Raymond Corson was an American physicist and academic administrator who was the eighth president of Cornell University. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Bernard O. Gruenke, American stained glass artist (born 1914)
Bernard Otto Gruenke was an American stained glass artist who produced one of the first faceted glass windows in the United States in 1949. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Jerry Lynch, American baseball player (born 1930) Gerald Thomas Lynch, nicknamed "the Hat", "Lynch the Pinch" and "the Allison Park Sweeper", was an American professional baseball outfielder who ranked among the most prolific pinch hitters in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. He played 13 seasons (1954-1966) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Alberto Sughi, Italian painter (born 1928) Alberto Sughi was an Italian painter. Read more
31 Mar 2012: Halbert White, American economist and academic (born 1950) Halbert Lynn White Jr. was the Chancellor's Associates Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Read more
31 Mar 2011: Gil Clancy, American boxer and trainer (born 1922) Gilbert Thomas Clancy was a Hall of Fame boxing trainer and one of the most noted television boxing commentators of the 1980s and 1990s. Read more
31 Mar 2011: Alan Fitzgerald, Australian journalist and author (born 1935) Alan John Fitzgerald was an Australian author, journalist and satirist. He was known for his unwavering opposition to the Australian republican movement and worked alongside Tony Abbott during Abbott's tenure as president of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) during the 1990s. Read more
31 Mar 2011: Mary Greyeyes, the first First Nations woman to join the Canadian Armed Forces (born 1920) Mary Greyeyes Reid was a Canadian World War II servicewoman. A Cree from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, she was the first First Nations woman to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces. After joining the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC) in 1942, she became the subject of an internationally famous army publicity photograph, and was sent overseas to serve in London, England, where she was introduced to public figures such as George VI and his daughter Elizabeth. Greyeyes remained in London until being discharged in 1946, after which she returned to Canada. Read more
31 Mar 2011: Oddvar Hansen, Norwegian footballer and coach (born 1921) Oddvar Ingolf Hansen was a Norwegian footballer and coach, who represented Brann in his hometown Bergen. Read more
31 Mar 2011: Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish singer and actress (born 1941)

Isabella Margaret MacAskill was a heritage activist and traditional Scottish Gaelic singer and teacher, often referred to as the "Gaelic diva". Read more
31 Mar 2011: Henry Taub, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1927) Henry Taub was an American businessman and philanthropist of Hungarian-Jewish descent who was a co-founder of ADP. Read more
31 Mar 2010: Jerald terHorst, American journalist (born 1922) Jerald Franklin terHorst was an American journalist who served as the 14th White House Press Secretary during the first month of Gerald Ford's presidency. His resignation in protest of Ford's unconditional pardon of former president Richard Nixon is still regarded as a rare act of conscience by a high-ranking public official. Read more
31 Mar 2010: Roger Addison, Welsh rugby union player (born 1945) Roger Addison was a Welsh rugby union player. A prop forward, he represented Wales at youth level and played club rugby for Pontypool RFC. He suffered a serious neck injury during a match in 1966 that left him paralysed. He lived in hospital for more than 40 years after the incident. Read more
31 Mar 2009: Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (born 1927) Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as president of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. He was the first democratically elected president after the National Reorganization Process. Ideologically, he identified as a radical and a social democrat, serving as the leader of the Radical Civic Union from 1983 to 1991, 1993 to 1995, 1999 to 2001. His political approach was known as "Alfonsinism". Read more
31 Mar 2009: Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (born 1911) Choor Singh Sidhu, known professionally as Choor Singh, was a Singaporean lawyer who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore and, particularly after his retirement from the bench, a philanthropist and writer of books about Sikhism. Born to a family of modest means in Punjab, India, he came to Singapore at four years of age. He completed his secondary education in the top class at Raffles Institution in 1929, then worked as a clerk in a law firm before becoming a civil servant in the Official Assignee's office. Read more
31 Mar 2008: Jules Dassin, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (born 1911) Julius "Jules" Dassin was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, where he continued his career. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Screen Directors' Guild. Read more
31 Mar 2008: Bill Keightley, American equipment manager (born 1926) William Bond Keightley was the equipment manager for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, a position he held for 48 years. Archived 2024-12-13 at the Wayback Machine Known affectionately to most as "Mr. Wildcat," players referred to him as "Mr. Bill" or "Big Smooth." Read more
31 Mar 2007: Paul Watzlawick, Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher (born 1921) Paul Watzlawick was an Austrian-American family therapist, psychologist, communication theorist, and philosopher. A theoretician in communication theory and radical constructivism, he commented in the fields of family therapy and general psychotherapy. Watzlawick believed that people create their own suffering in the very act of trying to fix their emotional problems. He was one of the most influential figures at the Mental Research Institute and lived and worked in Palo Alto, California. Read more
31 Mar 2006: Jackie McLean, American saxophonist and composer (born 1931) John Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He is one of the few musicians to be elected to the DownBeat Hall of Fame in the year of their death. Read more
31 Mar 2005: Stanley J. Korsmeyer, American oncologist and academic (born 1951) Stanley Joel Korsmeyer was an American research scientist known for his work on B cell lymphomas and apoptosis. Born and educated in the US state of Illinois, Korsmeyer spent most of his career as a professor at Washington University School of Medicine and later the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He rose to prominence in the early 1980s as a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute. There he co-discovered the genetic cause of most cases of the cancer follicular lymphoma – the misregulation of the gene Bcl-2. Korsmeyer went on to start his own laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, further studying the role of Bcl-2 in cell biology. His group's work expanded the paradigm of cancer-causing genes, providing the first example of how interfering with programmed cell death could lead to cancer development. Korsmeyer authored over 250 scientific papers over the course of his career. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences at the age of 45. Korsmeyer died of lung cancer in 2005, at the age of 54. Read more
31 Mar 2005: Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (born 1905) Justiniano Solis Montano Sr. was a Filipino lawyer and politician who was elected for one term to the Philippine Senate and for multiple terms as a member of the House of Representatives. Read more
31 Mar 2005: Frank Perdue, American businessman (born 1920) Franklin Parsons Perdue, born in Salisbury, Maryland, was for many years the president and CEO of Perdue Farms, now one of the largest chicken-producing companies in the United States. Read more
31 Mar 2004: Scott Helvenston, American soldier (born 1965) Stephen "Scott" Helvenston was a US Navy SEAL. He was working as a security contractor for Blackwater Security when he was killed in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush within days of arriving in Iraq. Read more
31 Mar 2003: Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (born 1907) Harold Scott MacDonald "Donald" Coxeter was a British-Canadian geometer and mathematician. He is regarded as one of the greatest geometers of the 20th century. Read more
31 Mar 2003: Anne Gwynne, American actress (born 1918) Anne Gwynne was an American actress who was known as one of the first scream queens because of her numerous appearances in horror films. Gwynne was also one of the most popular pin-ups of World War II. She was the maternal grandmother of actor Chris Pine. Read more
31 Mar 2003: Tommy Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (born 1949) Tommy Seebach, born Tommy Seebach Mortensen in Copenhagen, Denmark, was a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer. He is best known as front man of Sir Henry and his Butlers and for numerous contributions to the Danish qualifier for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, which he won three times. He was the father of songwriter/producer Nicolai Seebach and singer/songwriter/producer Rasmus Seebach. Read more
31 Mar 2002: Barry Took, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (born 1928) Barry Took was an English writer, television presenter and comedian. His decade-and-a-half writing partnership with Marty Feldman led to the television series Bootsie and Snudge, the radio comedy Round the Horne and other projects. Read more
31 Mar 2002: Moturu Udayam, Indian activist and politician (born 1924) Moturu Udayam was an Indian politician and women's rights activist. She was the General Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Sangham for eighteen years, and then the honorary president of the organisation between 1992 and 2001. She was also Vice President of the All India Democratic Women's Association, to which the APMS is affiliated, between 1981 and 2001. Read more
31 Mar 2002: Carlos J. Gradin, Argentine Archaeologist (born 1913) Carlos Joaquín Gradin, also known as Carlos Gradín, was an Argentine surveyor and archaeologist. He carried out numerous studies in the Patagonian region, and is known for his extensive studies of Cueva de las Manos. He was a member of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Read more
31 Mar 2001: David Rocastle, English footballer (born 1967) David Carlyle Rocastle was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the roles of a playmaker and a winger. Read more
31 Mar 2001: Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1915) Clifford Glenwood Shull was an American physicist. Read more
31 Mar 2000: Gisèle Freund, German-born French photographer and photojournalist (born 1908) Gisèle Freund was a German-born French photographer and photojournalist, famous for her documentary photography and portraits of writers and artists. Her best-known book, Photographie et société (1974), is a expanded edition of her seminal 1936 dissertation. It was the first sociohistorical study on photography as a democratic medium of self-representation in the age of technological reproduction. With this first doctoral thesis on photography at the Sorbonne, she was one of the first women habilitated there. Read more
31 Mar 2000: Adrian Fisher, English guitarist and member of the band Toby (born 1952) Adrian Fisher was an English guitarist and a member of the bands Toby, Sparks and Boxer. He played on Sparks' first two albums under Island Records, Kimono My House and Propaganda. Read more
31 Mar 1999: Yuri Knorozov, Russian linguist and ethnographer (born 1922) Yuri Valentinovich Knorozov was a Soviet and Russian linguist, epigraphist, and ethnologist. He is best known for the key role he played in the decipherment of the Maya script, the writing system of the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Read more
31 Mar 1998: Bella Abzug, American lawyer, activist, and politician (born 1920) Bella Abzug, nicknamed "Battling Bella", was an American lawyer, politician, social activist, and a leader in the women's movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan to found the National Women's Political Caucus. She was a leading figure in what came to be known as ecofeminism. Read more
31 Mar 1998: Tim Flock, American race car driver (born 1924) Julius Timothy Flock was an American stock car racer. He was a two-time NASCAR series champion. His brothers Bob and Fonty Flock also raced in NASCAR, as did his sister Ethel Mobley, NASCAR's second female driver. Read more
31 Mar 1998: Joel Ryce-Menuhin, American pianist (born 1933) Joel Ryce-Menuhin was an American pianist, who later became a Jungian psychologist in private practice. Read more
31 Mar 1997: Stephen Kalong Ningkan, first Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia. Stephen Kalong Ningkan was a Malaysian politician who served as the first Chief Minister of Sarawak from 1963 to 1966. Read more
31 Mar 1996: Dante Giacosa, Italian automobile designer and engineer (born 1905) Dante Giacosa was an Italian automobile designer and engineer responsible for a range of Italian automobile designs — and for refining the front-wheel drive layout to an industry-standard configuration. He has been called the deus ex machina of Fiat. Read more
31 Mar 1996: Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1958) Jeffrey Lee Pierce was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and author. He was one of the founding members of the post-punk band the Gun Club, and released material as a solo artist. Read more
31 Mar 1995: Selena, American singer-songwriter (born 1971) Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a Mexican-American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Queen of Tejano Music", she is known for her contributions to popular music and fashion, which made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market. Read more
31 Mar 1993: Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (born 1965) Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. Establishing himself as a rising action star in the early 1990s, Lee landed what was to be his breakthrough role as Eric Draven in the supernatural superhero film The Crow (1994). However, Lee's career and life were cut short by his accidental death during the film's production. Read more
31 Mar 1993: Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (born 1900) Mitchell Parish was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Read more
31 Mar 1991: Theofylaktos Papakonstantinou, Greek columnist, political and social analyst and historian (born 1905) Theofylaktos Papakonstantinou was a Greek columnist, political and social analyst and historian. He used the pen name Petros Monastiriotis. Read more
31 Mar 1988: William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1908) Sir William McMahon was an Australian politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, and previously held various ministerial positions from 1951 to 1971, the longest continuous service in Australian history. Read more
31 Mar 1986: Jerry Paris, American actor and director (born 1925) William Gerald Paris was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and for directing the majority of the episodes of the sitcom Happy Days. Read more
31 Mar 1983: Christina Stead, Australian author and academic (born 1902) Christina Stead was an Australian novelist and short-story writer acclaimed for her satirical wit and penetrating psychological characterisations. Christina Stead was a committed Marxist, although she was never a member of the Communist Party. She spent much of her life outside Australia, although she returned before her death. Read more
31 Mar 1981: Enid Bagnold, English author and playwright (born 1889) Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, was a British writer and playwright best known for the 1935 story National Velvet. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Vladimír Holan, Czech poet and author (born 1905) Vladimír Holan was a Czech poet. He was known for employing obscure language, dark topics and pessimistic views in his poems. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in the late 1960s. Read more
31 Mar 1980: Jesse Owens, American sprinter and long jumper (born 1913) James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who made history at the 1936 Olympic Games by winning four gold medals, setting Olympic records in each event. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in track and field history. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Astrid Allwyn, American actress (born 1905) Astrid Allwyn was an American stage and film actress. Read more
31 Mar 1978: Charles Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (born 1899) Charles Herbert Best, was an American-Canadian medical scientist and one of the co-discoverers of insulin with Frederick Banting. He served as the chair of the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research at the University of Toronto and was further involved in research concerning choline and heparin. Read more
31 Mar 1976: Paul Strand, American photographer and director (born 1890) Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century. In 1936, he helped found the Photo League, a cooperative of photographers who banded together around a range of common social and creative causes. His diverse body of work, spanning six decades, covers numerous genres and subjects throughout the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Read more
31 Mar 1975: Percy Alliss, English golfer (born 1897) Percy Alliss was one of the leading English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s, winning many tournaments in Britain and Continental Europe. He was also the father of commentator and former golfer Peter Alliss. Read more
31 Mar 1970: Semyon Timoshenko, Soviet Commander during the Winter War and the Eastern Front of World War II (born 1894) Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko was a Soviet military commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, and one of the most prominent Red Army commanders during the Second World War. Read more
31 Mar 1968: Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (born 1885) Grover Cleveland "Slim" Lowdermilk was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox between 1909 and 1920. Lowdermilk batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Sandborn, Indiana. Read more
31 Mar 1961: Pyrros Spyromilios, officer of the Greek Navy and director of the Greek Radio Orchestra (born 1913) Pyrros Spyromilios was a Greek officer of the Greek Navy in World War II and later director of the Greek Radio Orchestra. Read more
31 Mar 1956: Ralph DePalma, Italian-American race car driver and actor (born 1884) Raffaele "Ralph" DePalma was an American racing driver who won the 1915 Indianapolis 500. DePalma won the 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911 American AAA national dirt track championships and is credited with winning 25 American Championship car races. He won the Canadian national championship in 1929. DePalma estimated that he had earned $1.5 million by 1934 after racing for 27 years. He is inducted in numerous halls of fame. He competed on boards and dirt road courses and ovals. Read more
31 Mar 1956: Nellah Massey Bailey, American politician and librarian (born 1893) Nellah Izora Massey Bailey was an American politician and librarian. She was the first lady of Mississippi from 1944 to 1946 and the Mississippi state tax collector from 1948 to 1956. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman elected to statewide office in Mississippi. Read more
31 Mar 1952: Wallace H. White, Jr., American lawyer and politician (born 1877) Wallace Humphrey White Jr. was an American politician and Republican leader in the United States Congress from 1917 until 1949. White was from the U.S. state of Maine and served in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate, where he was Senate Minority Leader and later Majority Leader before his retirement. Read more
31 Mar 1950: Robert Natus, Estonian architect (born 1890) Robert Natus was an Estonian architect of Baltic German descent. Read more
31 Mar 1945: Frank Findlay, New Zealand banker and politician (born 1884)

Frank Findlay was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Read more
31 Mar 1945: Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1881) Hans Fischer was a German organic chemist and the recipient of the 1930 Nobel Prize for Chemistry "for his researches into the constitution of haemin and chlorophyll and especially for his synthesis of haemin." Read more
31 Mar 1944: Mineichi Koga, Japanese admiral (born 1885) Mineichi Koga was a Japanese Marshal Admiral and commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet. Read more
31 Mar 1939: Ioannis Tsangaridis, Greek general (born 1887) Ioannis Tsangaridis was a Greek Cypriot General of the Hellenic Army. Read more
31 Mar 1935: Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (born 1885) Prince Georges Vasili Matchabelli was a Georgian perfumer. A nobleman and diplomat, he emigrated to the United States after the 1921 Soviet invasion of Georgia. Read more
31 Mar 1931: Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (born 1888) Knute Kenneth Rockne was a Norwegian-American football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame. Leading Notre Dame for 13 seasons, Rockne accumulated over 100 wins and three national championships. Read more
31 Mar 1930: Ludwig Schüler, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (born 1836) Ludwig Schüler was a German politician and from 17 September 1884 until 20 May 1907 mayor of Marburg.
In January 1911 he was appointed honorary citizen. Read more
31 Mar 1927: Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and political reformer (born 1858) Kang Youwei was a Chinese political thinker and reformer in the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor sparked conflict between the emperor and his adoptive mother, the regent Empress Dowager Cixi. His ideas were influential in the abortive Hundred Days' Reform. Following the coup by Cixi that ended the reform, Kang was forced to flee. He continued to advocate for a Chinese constitutional monarchy after the founding of the Republic of China. Read more
31 Mar 1924: George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (born 1855) George Charles Haité was an English designer, painter, illustrator and writer. His most famous work is the iconic cover design of the Strand Magazine, launched in 1891, which helped popularise the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Haité was also a founder member and the first president of the London Sketch Club. Read more
31 Mar 1920: Abdul Hamid Madarshahi, Bengali Islamic scholar and author (born 1869) Abdul Hamid was a Bengali Islamic scholar, author and educationist. He was one of the pioneers of introducing the Deobandi movement in Bengal and is noted for being one of the founding fathers of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in Hathazari. Read more
31 Mar 1917: Emil von Behring, German physiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1854) Emil von Behring, was a German physiologist. In 1901, he received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and deaths". He was widely known as a "saviour of children", as diphtheria used to be a major cause of child death. His work with the disease, as well as tetanus, has come to bring him most of his fame and acknowledgment. He was honoured with Prussian nobility in 1901, henceforth being known by the surname "von Behring". Read more
31 Mar 1915: Wyndham Halswelle, English-Scottish runner and captain (born 1882) Wyndham Halswelle was a British athlete. He won the controversial 400 m race at the 1908 Summer Olympics, becoming the only athlete to win an Olympic title by a walkover. Read more
31 Mar 1913: J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier (born 1837) John Pierpont Morgan Sr. was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known as JPMorgan Chase & Co., he was a driving force behind the wave of industrial consolidations in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. Read more
31 Mar 1910: Jean Moréas, Greek poet, essayist and art critic (born 1856) Jean Moréas was a Greek poet, essayist, and art critic, who wrote mostly in the French language but also in Greek during his youth. Read more
31 Mar 1907: Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (born 1823) Galusha Aaron Grow was the 24th speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1861 to 1863. Elected as a Democrat in the 1850 congressional elections, he switched to the newly organized Republican Party in the mid-1850s when the Democratic Party tried to force the extension of slavery into western territories. Read more
31 Mar 1885: Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (born 1819) Franz Wilhelm Abt was a German composer and choral conductor. He composed roughly 3,000 individual works mostly in the area of vocal music. Several of his songs were at one time universally sung, and have obtained a more or less permanent place in the popular repertory. Abt was a renowned choral conductor, and he spent much of the last three decades of his life working as a guest conductor with choirs throughout Europe and in the United States. Read more
31 Mar 1880: Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violinist and composer (born 1835) Henryk Wieniawski was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer, and pedagogue, who is regarded amongst the most distinguished violinists in history. His younger brother Józef Wieniawski and nephew Adam Tadeusz Wieniawski were also accomplished musicians, as was his daughter Régine, who became a naturalised British subject upon marrying into the peerage and wrote music under the name Poldowski. Read more
31 Mar 1877: Antoine Augustin Cournot, French mathematician and philosopher (born 1801) Antoine Augustin Cournot was a French philosopher and mathematician who contributed to the development of economics. Read more
31 Mar 1855: Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (born 1816) Charlotte Nicholls, commonly known by her maiden name Charlotte Brontë, was an English novelist and poet, and was the elder sister of Emily, Anne and Branwell Brontë. She is best known for her novel Jane Eyre, which was first published under the pseudonym Currer Bell. Jane Eyre was a great success on publication, and has since become known as a classic of English literature. Read more
31 Mar 1850: John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (born 1782) John Caldwell Calhoun was an American statesman and political theorist who served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer and proponent of a strong federal government and protective tariffs. In the late 1820s, his views shifted, and he became a leading proponent of states' rights, limited government, nullification, and opposition to high tariffs, and distinguished himself as an outspoken defender of American slavery. Calhoun saw Northern acceptance of those policies as a condition of the South remaining in the Union. His beliefs heavily influenced the South's secession from the Union in 1860 and 1861. Calhoun was the first of two vice presidents to resign from the position, the second being Spiro Agnew, who resigned in 1973. Read more
31 Mar 1837: John Constable, English painter and educator (born 1776) John Constable was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, the area on the borderland of Suffolk and north Essex surrounding his home – now known as "Constable Country" – which he invested with an intensity of affection. "I should paint my own places best", he wrote to his friend John Fisher in 1821, "painting is but another word for feeling". Read more

Why is 31 March Important in World History?

Several significant political, cultural, educational, and sporting events took place on 31 March, making it an important topic for general knowledge and competitive examinations.

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What happened on 31 March in World history?

On 31 March, several important historical events, notable births, and major milestones occurred in World history.

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